OPINION - Türkiye elections in social media: Polarization, echo chambers, and the great disappointment

By Yenal Göksun

- The author is a researcher at SETA.

ISTANBUL (AA) - A new TikTok star has recently emerged in Türkiye but this one stands out from the rest. Mustafa Sarigul, the former mayor of Istanbul's Sisli district, gained attention on the platform for his videos where he occasionally slaps youngsters going to Starbucks and criticizes America's tobacco quotas by pounding tobacco packs. These videos have become hugely popular, especially among young people who enjoy irony and entertainment, amassing millions of views. Sarigul, who ran as a candidate for a parliamentary seat in the Turkish elections on May 14, 2023, successfully secured a place in the parliament. While his TikTok videos were the face of his election campaign, the true secret to his success was the personal connection he established with voters on the street. The Sarigul example challenges the notion of social media's influence on voting behavior and highlights the importance of face-to-face communication on the streets and in the markets.

- Turkish public's interest in the elections

The first round of the Turkish Presidential elections, which were dubbed the most significant elections of 2023, concluded on May 14. Throughout this process, there has been a lot of discussion about the role of social media. It remains uncertain how exactly social media influences voting behavior. However, what is clear is that in today's new communication landscape, where social media plays a crucial role, voters must determine their voting behavior within this influential platform.

Türkiye has always had a vibrant and engaged public opinion. Whether it is on the streets or on social media, election campaigns have always carried an atmosphere of democratic celebration. During this period, streets and squares are adorned with political party flags, while social media users actively participate in discussions within their own online platforms. For instance, just a week before the May 14 elections, social media users expressed their support for political alliances through the use of emojis. Supporters of the "Nation Alliance" took inspiration from Kemal Kilicdaroglu and used heart symbols, while backers of the "People's Alliance" opted for the Turkish flag to emphasize their nationalist stance. This expression style is significant as it demonstrates the importance of political campaigns to Turkish voters and their active involvement in shaping them.

- Consolidating supporters

Three months before the 2023 elections, public surveys indicated that young and undecided voters would play a decisive role in the election. As a result, candidates focused on attracting these voters to their side through social media campaigns. Kılıcdaroglu, the candidate of the Nation Alliance, placed special importance on his social media campaign and produced short videos under specific themes. Particularly, videos shot in his modest-looking kitchen caught the attention of a particular segment of voters. From this kitchen, he criticized the government's economic program and presented his own solutions. Compared to Kilicdaroglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the candidate of the People's Alliance, focused on rallies in different cities. As an experienced leader, Erdogan's greatest strength lay in his communication with people on the ground. As a result, the People's Alliance did not officially prioritize their social media campaign. However, the social media campaign was predominantly driven by user-generated content which was produced by the supporters.

Kilicdaroglu aimed to portray himself as an embracing, innovative, and solution-oriented leader in his social media campaign, seeking to prove that he was the better candidate. However, his stance on issues like terrorism, security, and foreign policy became his weak points. Users on social media criticized the inconsistencies in Kilicdaroglu's statements through user-generated content such as captions, memes, and remixes. User-generated content played a crucial role in consolidating voters and boosting their motivation to cast their votes in these elections.

- Deep fake videos and withdrawal of a candidate

In the final week of the election campaigns, the issue of deep fake videos entered the political scene. Muharrem Ince who was running for the presidency, faced a backlash on social media as certain trolls and partisan users targeted him based on the spread of these manipulated videos. It is worth noting that Ince had previously been the presidential candidate for the Republican People's Party (CHP) in 2018, where he didn't achieve success, garnering only 26% of the votes. Following internal disputes within the party, he eventually parted ways and formed the Homeland Party.

Kilicdaroglu, the candidate of the Nation Alliance and the head of the CHP, constantly urged Ince to join the Nation Alliance after surveys revealed that İnce could potentially play a crucial role in the outcome of the 2023 elections. However, Ince, with his Kemalist and nationalist stance, leveled serious criticisms against the Nation Alliance, ultimately choosing not to join the coalition. Ince held a press conference where he announced his withdrawal from the race with just 3 days remaining until the elections. He cited the orchestrated deep fake video campaign by social media accounts associated with the FETO terrorist organization as the reason behind his decision, highlighting how opposition voters had subsequently turned against him. Ince indirectly criticized Kilicdaroglu.

- The role of echo chambers and the great disappointment

Social media echo chambers are known to create a false sense of reality, where users craft their own unique narratives. The political and emotional polarization during Türkiye's election campaigns has led voters to view their chosen candidate as flawless and unbeatable. Especially opposition voters fell into a larger illusion, considering the events leading up to and on the election night. Numerous pre-election polls were confidently predicting Kilicdaroglu's victory in the first round, and the opposition campaign on social media further fueled this sentiment, reaching its peak on election day. However, when unofficial initial results were displayed on TV screens that night, Erdogan appeared to be in the lead. Nonetheless, members of Kilicdaroglu's team, including the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu and the mayor of Ankara, Mansur Yavas, made press announcements throughout the night, declaring Kilicdaroglu's lead and imminent victory. This inconsistency in the data caused confusion among voters. By morning, it became evident that Kilicdaroglu had not won.

As a result, social media users who had been manipulated by weeks and months of fake polling data and caught in the echo chambers of social media were misguided with inaccurate information on election night, fostering a sense of hope. This ultimately resulted in great disappointment for Kilicdaroglu's supporters. As we now move towards the second round, it will be a challenging task to reconsolidate the opposition voters and motivate them to cast their votes.

*Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu.