Digital diplomacy as crisis communication: Turkish digital outreach after July 15

Abstract

The failed coup attempt on the night of July 15th unsurprisingly affected Turkish diplomacy. In addition to being one of the deadliest clashes Turkey has ever witnessed inside its borders, the coup also constituted a threat to the country’s international reputation. On the first anniversary of the coup, Turkish representations went on a digital offense under the #1507mfa hashtag. Using a dataset of tweets compiled between July 13th and July 17th, 2017, this study analyzes the messages used and the relations created by Turkey to share its story and to protect its image.