SOCIAL MEDIA USE BY ISTANBUL MAYORAL CANDIDATES IN TWO SUBSEQUENT 2019 ELECTIONS
SOCIAL MEDIA USE BY ISTANBUL MAYORAL CANDIDATES IN TWO SUBSEQUENT 2019 ELECTIONS
Author(s): Naci DİLEKLİ, Necati Anaz, Bruno Ferreira Da PaixãoSubject(s): Government/Political systems, Politics and communication, Social Informatics, ICT Information and Communications Technologies
Published by: Rasim Özgür DÖNMEZ
Keywords: Istanbul; Elections; Binali Yıldırım; Ekrem İmamoğlu; Social Media Analysis;
Summary/Abstract: We analyzed Facebook and Twitter engagements by Binali Yıldırım and Ekrem İmamoğlu, the two main candidates in the 2019 Istanbul mayoral election, spanning from December 2018 to the end of June 2019 due to the fact that the original elections were disputed and repeated. Social media analytics were used to obtain the data used in the study. We put forward four research questions that draw on the nature of social media as well as the unique Turkish political context. We rely on the discussion these questions for the bulk of our analysis. While the candidates received comparable number of votes, İmamoğlu was the clear champion of engagements on both platforms. We also observe that İmamoğlu embraced a positive campaign and the secular base already had a wider presence in social media. İmamoğlu was able to galvanize the opposition who was accustomed to being defeated by the governing AKP.
Journal: Alternatif Politika
- Issue Year: 13/2021
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 75-113
- Page Count: 39
- Language: English