POLITICAL COMMUNICATION IN THE NEW MEDIA AGE: CANDIDATES' USE OF TWITTER (X) IN THE 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the political communication strategies of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on the Twitter platform (X) during the first round of Presidential elections held on May 14, 2023, between April 30, 2023, and May 14, 2023. The research employed the content analysis technique, a qualitative research method, for data collection and analysis. The data subjected to content analysis were obtained by retrospectively scanning the Twitter (X) accounts of the candidates. All statistics included in this analysis were compiled from publicly available data shared by X. Only messages shared by the candidates' accounts were considered, and messages sent to the page by users were excluded from the evaluation. To examine the posts shared by the candidates on the Twitter (X) platform during the specified period in terms of message content and statistical distribution, a coding table was prepared in the Microsoft Excel environment. The posts in the coding table were evaluated utilizing the content analysis method. During content analysis, the data in the coding table were transferred to the SPSS-24 data analysis program. Frequency tables and graphs were created to provide descriptive statistics, including numbers and percentages for each variable derived from the categories. The results revealed that Erdoğan preferred reaching large masses and emphasizing leadership, while Kılıçdaroğlu focused on party members. Erdoğan's communication style was more formal and populist, while Kılıçdaroğlu adopted a more focused and critical approach. Erdoğan's posts emphasized rallies and current debates, while Kılıçdaroğlu encouraged solidarity within the party and criticized rival candidates. Although Erdoğan had a higher number of followers and interaction level, Kılıçdaroğlu's interaction number surpassed Erdoğan's. Both leaders' strategies reflected their political identities and priorities, with Erdoğan aiming for a wider audience and emphasizing leadership, while Kılıçdaroğlu prioritized unity within the party and a critical approach. The research concluded that communication strategies on Twitter play a crucial role in shaping voter perceptions.