Turkish Citizens’ Perception of Russia and the USA in the Context of Country, Product and Leader Images: A Comparative Field Study

Abstract

The image of countries or how they are perceived by other countries and public opinion comes to the fore as a subject that is increasingly emphasized in the context of global competition conditions. Actually, in global competition, it is very important for countries to attract tourists, investments and qualified labor force, and to ensure that their products are preferred among their counterparts. This study focused on how Russia and the USA were perceived by Turkish citizens, based on the country, product and leader images. In the study, which used a cross-sectional survey model based on quantitative research method, the data were collected from 461 participants reached by purposive sampling method. The results indicated that cognitive country image of both countries was perceived positively, and affective country image was perceived negatively in terms of country image. It was determined that both countries had a positive image regarding product image. However, both Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden had a negative image in terms of leader image. The participants with high level of political interest had higher positive perceptions of country, product and leader images for both countries compared to those with low and medium political interest. Finally, Vladimir Putin had a more positive image regarding both leadership characteristics and leadership competence compared to Joe Biden.