SavedAdd your journal

Journals / Uluslararası İlişkiler ve Diplomasi / 2025 / Cilt: 8 Sayı: 2

TIKTOK DIPLOMACY: A STUDY ON THE GO TÜRKİYE CAMPAIGN

TİKTOK DİPLOMASİSİ: GO TÜRKİYE KAMPANYASI ÜZERİNE BİR ARAŞTIRMA

Zindan Çakıcı(Üsküdar Üniversitesi)0000-0002-8916-0582
Dilara Yıldız(ÜSKÜDAR ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0003-7923-6250
Aslı Karakayalı(ÜSKÜDAR ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0005-7033-2064
Pages
54–73
Publication Date
2025-12-30
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings revealed the extensive use of narrative elements such as subtitles, captions, music, and hashtags.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:In recent years, TikTok has emerged as one of the primary digital platforms extensively utilized in public diplomacy practices.
📊
Key Findings & Data:This study aimed to examine the Ministry’s communication strategies conducted via TikTok within the framework of the Go Türkiye campaign.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The findings revealed the extensive use of narrative elements such as subtitles, captions, music, and hashtags.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:2022 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Kamu Diplomasisi · Dijitalleşme · Sosyal Medya

Abstract

In recent years, TikTok has emerged as one of the primary digital platforms extensively utilized in public diplomacy practices. In Türkiye, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism established an official TikTok account as part of its Go Türkiye campaign, initiated to promote the country’s soft power assets to the international public. This study aimed to examine the Ministry’s communication strategies conducted via TikTok within the framework of the Go Türkiye campaign. Accordingly, the research sought to contribute to the literature on the Ministry’s digital public diplomacy practices and the functional role of TikTok in the context of public diplomacy. Within the scope of the study, a total of 494 videos shared between 16 August 2022 and 4 April 2025 were analyzed through content analysis. The findings revealed the extensive use of narrative elements such as subtitles, captions, music, and hashtags. The content indicated that Türkiye’s cultural heritage, natural assets, tourist destinations, gastronomic elements, and significant commemorative days were communicated through professionally produced videos encompassing a range of audiovisual formats. As a result of these strategic choices, the content achieved broad audience reach and high levels of engagement. However, the findings also indicated that the communication strategy failed to adequately address the needs of disadvantaged groups, did not sufficiently adopt multilingualism, presented a selective and unbalanced portrayal of the country, and largely followed a one-way communication model.

Özet

Günümüzde TikTok, kamu diplomasisi faaliyetlerinde yaygın olarak kullanılan başlıca dijital platformlardan biri hâline gelmiştir. Türkiye’de, Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı da ülkenin yumuşak güç unsurlarını uluslararası kamuoyuna tanıtmak amacıyla başlattığı Go Türkiye kampanyası için TikTok'ta resmi bir hesap oluşturmuştur. Bu çalışma, Bakanlığın Go Türkiye kampanyası kapsamında TikTok üzerinden yürüttüğü iletişim stratejilerini incelemeyi amaçlamıştır. Bu doğrultuda, Bakanlığın dijital kamu diplomasisi uygulamalarına ve TikTok’un kamu diplomasisi alanındaki işlevine ilişkin literatüre katkı sunulması hedeflenmiştir. Çalışma kapsamında, 16 Ağustos 2022 ile 4 Nisan 2025 tarihleri arasında paylaşılan 494 video içerik analizi ile incelenmiştir. Bulgular, içeriklerde altyazı, açıklama, müzik ve hashtag gibi unsurlarının yoğun biçimde kullanıldığını göstermiştir. Profesyonel düzeyde hazırlanmış farklı video türleri aracılığıyla Türkiye’nin kültürel mirası, doğal varlıkları, turistik bölgeleri, gastronomik öğeleri ve önemli günlerine ilişkin bilgilendirme yapıldığı görülmüştür. Bu stratejik tercihler sonucunda, içeriklerin geniş kitlelere ulaştığı ve yüksek düzeyde etkileşim aldığı tespit edilmiştir. Fakat, içeriklerde dezavantajlı grupların ihtiyaçlarının yeterince gözetilmediği, çok dillilik ilkesinin sınırlı düzeyde uygulandığı, ülkenin kapsamlı ve dengeli bir şekilde temsil edilmediği ve iletişimin büyük ölçüde tek yönlü gerçekleştiği tespit edilmiştir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Çakıcı, Z., Yıldız, D., Karakayalı, A. (2025). TIKTOK DIPLOMACY: A STUDY ON THE GO TÜRKİYE CAMPAIGN. Uluslararası İlişkiler ve Diplomasi, Cilt: 8 Sayı: 2, 54–73. https://doi.org/10.51763/uid.1730711

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (51)

  1. Abu Jaber, R. F. (2024) “Historical Phases of Diplomacy Development”, Modern Journal of Legal Studies, 2(2): 386–405. https://doi.org/10.70411/MJLS.2.2.2024118
  2. Akbarzadeh, S., & Saba, A. (2025) “China’s Soft Power: Views from Saudi Arabia and the UAE”, Global Studies Quarterly, 5(1): 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1093/isagsq/ksae090
  3. Akyol, C. (2022) “Akıllı Turizm Uygulamaları Kapsamında Dijital Platformların Destinasyonlara Katkısı; Goturkiye Örneği”, Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli Üniversitesi SBE Dergisi, 12(4): 2054-2074. https://doi.org/10.30783/nevsosbilen.1121229
  4. Alom, M. S., Hosen, M. K., & Salam, E. A. A. (2025) “Achievements and Challenges of China’s Economic Soft Power in Bangladesh: A Critical Assessment”, Journal of Asian and African Social Science and Humanities, 11(1): 1–19. https://doi.org/10.55327/jaash.v11i1.372
  5. Atatorun, M. (2024) “Macaristan Dış Politikasının Yönelimleri ve Kamu Diplomasisi”, Anadolu Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 24: 73-92. https://doi.org/10.18037/ausbd.1422384
  6. Bermúdez, J. (2025) “Introduction: TikTok-Music-Cultures”, Musicologica Austriaca: Journal for Austrian Music Studies, 23: 3-7. https://doi.org/10.71045/musau.2025.SI.23
  7. Çakıcı, Z. (2025) “TikTok as a Political Communication Medium: An Examination of the United Nations”, İletişim Kuram ve Araştırma Dergisi, (69): 136-156. https://doi.org/10.47998/ikad.1580671
  8. Çakıcı, Z., & Meriç, E. (2021) “Bollywood Sinemasını Kamu Diplomasisi Bağlamında Yeniden İzlemek: Bajrangi Bhaijaan Üzerine Bir İnceleme”, Galatasaray Üniversitesi İletişim Dergisi (6): 36-56. https://doi.org/10.16878/gsuilet.867952
  9. Çakıcı, Z., & Meriç, E. (2024) “Exploring United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’(UNHCR) TikTok Landscape: Insights into Migration Representations”, in S. Kir Elitaş (Ed.), Media Representation of Migrants and Refugees (pp. 278–295). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3459-1.ch017
  10. Castillo-Abdul, B., Ortega Fernandez, E., & Romero-Rodriguez, L. M. (2024) “Corporate Social Responsibility Communication of Male Luxury Fashion Brands: Analysis on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok”, Management Decision, 62(2): 471-491. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-09-2022-1316
  11. Cevher, N. (2024) “Türkiye’deki Müze Web Sitelerinin Değerlendirilmesi: Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı Örneği”, Bilgi Yönetimi, 7(1): 110-122. https://doi.org/10.33721/by.1438074
  12. Chung, S. W., & Yoon, S. W. (2022) “Understanding EU’s Digitalised Public Diplomacy: Socio‑Semantic Network Analysis of European External Action Service’s Official YouTube Channel”, Journal of European Studies, 40(3): 135–154. https://doi.org/10.17052/jces.2022.40.3.135
  13. Çiçek, A., & Eser, H. B. (2025) “Afgan Öğrencilerin Algıladıkları Sosyal Dışlanma, Ayrımcılık ve Irkçılığın Türk Kamu Diplomasisine Etkileri: Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi ve Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Örnekleri”, Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi, 20(1): 17-40. https://doi.org/10.17153/oguiibf.1416451
  14. D’Ambrosi, R., Bellato, E., Bullitta, G., et al. (2024) “TikTok Content as a Source of Health Education Regarding Epicondylitis: A Content Analysis”, Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, 25: 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10195-024-00757-3
  15. Doncel-Martín, I., & Elías, C. (2025) “Domestic Public Diplomacy as a Communications Strategy. Analysis of the Spanish Case”, Political Research Exchange, 7(1): 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/2474736X.2025.2483515
  16. Duğan, Ö., & Aydın, B. O. (2018) “Sosyal Medyanın Turizmde Tanıtım Amaçlı Kullanımı: T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı Örneği”, Uluslararası Türk Dünyası Turizm Araştırmaları Dergisi, 3(1): 1-13.
  17. Fasinu, E. S., Olaniyan, B. J., & Afolaranmi, A. O. (2024) “Digital diplomacy in the Age of Social Media: Challenges and Opportunities for Crisis Communication”, African Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Research, 7(3): 24–38. https://doi.org/10.52589/AJSSHR-0TOOED5F
  18. Fjällhed, A. (2021) “Managing Disinformation Through Public Diplomacy”, in: Surowiec, P., Manor, I. (eds) Public Diplomacy and the Politics of Uncertainty. Palgrave Macmillan Series in Global Public Diplomacy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54552-9_9
  19. Gesmundo, M. A. G., Jordan, M. D. S., Meridor, W. H. D., Muyot, D. V., Castano, M. C. N., & Bandojo, A. J. P. (2022) “TikTok as a Platform for Marketing Campaigns: The Effect of Brand Awareness and Brand Recall on the Purchase Intentions of Millennials”, Journal of Business and Management Studies, 4(2): 343–361. https://doi.org/10.32996/jbms.2022.4.2.27
  20. Gheyle, N., & Jacobs, T. (2017) “Content Analysis: A Short Overview”, Internal Research Note, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.33689.31841
  21. Gibson, L. (2023) “The Impact of Citizen‑Led Facebook Public Diplomacy: A Case Study of Libyans’ Views of the US”, Journal of Public Diplomacy, 3(2): 27–45. https://doi.org/10.23045/jpd.2023.3.2.002
  22. Göksun, Y., & Samuk, D. (2023) “The Perception of The TikTok Platform as China’s Sharp Power Instrument in US Politics”, Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 16(4): 1169-1185. https://doi.org/10.25287/ohuiibf.1342747
  23. Goldman, I. (2024) “North Korea’s ‘New DPRK’ YouTube Channel: New Public Diplomacy Attempt or International Propaganda? A Case Study”, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11: 997. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03406-6
  24. Gürbüz, E., & Karahan, Ü. O. (2025) “Hellen Diplomasisinde Uzlaşmazlıkların Çözümünde Tahkim Uygulaması”, History Studies, 17(2): 317–332. https://doi.org/10.9737/historystudies.1533920
  25. Hati, S., & Yuniati, I. (2023) “Analysis of the Use of Social Media TikTok to Build Brand Awareness of Npure Skincare Products Among Generation Z”, Journal of Applied Business Administration, 7(2): 245-254. https://doi.org/10.30871/jaba.v7i2.6352
  26. Hong, N. M. (2025) “Enhancing Public Diplomacy During the Digital Transformation: Theoretical Frameworks, Global Best Practices, and Relevance for Vietnamese Youth in Safeguarding National Sovereignty Over Seas and Islands”, Problems of Modern Science and Education, 4(203): 56–66.
  27. Ingenhoff, D., Calamai, G., & Sevin, E. (2021) “Key Influencers in Public Diplomacy 2.0: A Country‑Based Social Network Analysis”, Social Media + Society, 7(1): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120981053
  28. Kacziba, P., Gibárti, S., & Lechner, Z. (2025) “Assessing Greece’s Transition to Digital Diplomacy: Insights From Twitter/X (2021–2022)”, Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683857.2025.2457813
  29. Kemp, S. (2025, February 5) “Digital 2025 Global Overview Report”, We Are Social. https://wearesocial.com/uk/blog/2025/02/digital-2025/
  30. Koçyiğit, A., Kutlu, M., & Darı, A. B. (2024) “Yeni Medya Çağında Kültürel Diplomasi: Etkileşim, İmaj ve Algı Yönetimi”, Ahi Evran Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 10(3): 708-727. https://doi.org/10.31592/aeusbed.1511171
  31. Li, Y., & Xie, Y. (2020) “Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words? An Empirical Study of Image Content and Social Media Engagement”, Journal of Marketing Research, 57(1): 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022243719881113
  32. Lovejoy, K., & Saxton, GD. (2012) “Information, Community, and Action: How Nonprofit Organizations Use Social Media”, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 17(3): 337–353. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2012.01576.x
  33. Mazumdar, B. T. (2024). “Digital Diplomacy: Internet-Based Public Diplomacy Activities or Novel Forms of Public Engagement?”, Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 20(1): 24–43. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41254-021-00208-4
  34. McDonnell, EJ., Eagle, T., Sinlapanuntakul, P., Moon, SH., Ringland, KE., Froehlich, JE., & Findlater, L. (2024) “Caption It in an Accessible Way That is Also Enjoyable: Characterizing User-Driven Captioning Practices on TikTok”, Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642177
  35. Meriç, E., & Çakıcı, Z. (2024) “From TikTok Trends to Pandemic Essentials: A Comparative Analysis of the World Health Organization's Health Communication Strategies on TikTok”, in H. Gürkan & A. Serttaş (Eds.), Transformed Communication Codes in the Mediated World: A Contemporary Perspective (pp. 1–23). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-0896-7.ch001
  36. Modzelewski, W. T. (2024) “The Essence and Challenges of Public Diplomacy”, in A. Żukowski (Ed.), Public Diplomacy. Education of the Society on Disinformation: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia (pp. 15-25). Wydawnictwo Naukowe FNCE.
  37. Nip, J. Y., & Sun, C. (2022) “Public Diplomacy, Propaganda, or What? China's Communication Practices in the South China Sea Dispute on Twitter”, Journal of Public Diplomacy, 2(1): 43–68. https://doi.org/10.23045/jpd.2022.2.1.4
  38. Nye, J. S. (1990) “Soft Power”, Foreign Policy, 80, 153–171. https://doi.org/10.2307/1148580
  39. Pang, Y. (2025) “Analyzing the Overseas Investment Strategies and Their Influencing Factors on TikTok”, Journal of Economics, Business and Management, 13(1): 8–13. https://doi.org/10.18178/joebm.2025.13.1.840
  40. Patton, M. Q. (2002) “Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods”. SagePublications.
  41. Pavić, A., Beriša, H., & Stajković, N. (2025) “Trends in the Formulation of Instruments of National Power: Digital Diplomacy as a Factor of Change in Modern Diplomacy”, SCIENCE International Journal, 4(1): 25–33. https://doi.org/10.35120/sciencej0401025p
  42. Pradana Pérez, F. J. (2025) “Public Diplomacy’s Communication Management Through Spanish Embassies”, Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41254-024-00390-1
  43. Rachmawati, I., Kuncoro, H., & Lupitasari, D. (2025) “Sustainable Indonesia’s Digital Public Diplomacy: The Impact of Twitter Content on Engagement Metric”, Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review, 5(2): 1-29. https://doi.org/10.47172/2965-730X.SDGsReview.v5.n02.pe03885
  44. Saliu, H. (2023) “Narratives of Public Diplomacy in the Post-Truth Era: The Decline of Soft Power”, Communication & Society, 36(2): 209-224. https://doi.org/10.15581/003.36.2.209-224
  45. Şeyşane, V. (2024) “Finlandiya’da Kamu Diplomasisi: Propagandadan Ulus Markalaşmasına”, Anadolu Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 24: 49-72. https://doi.org/10.18037/ausbd.1434658
  46. Sun, F., Zheng, S., & Wu, J. (2023) “Quality of Information in Gallstone Disease Videos on TikTok: Cross-sectional Study”, Journal of Medical Internet Research, 8(25): 1-12. https://doi.org/10.2196/39162
  47. Ünlü, S., & Yaşar, L. (2021) “Online Event Management on Twitter in the Covid-19 Pandemic Process: The Example of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism”, Erciyes İletişim Dergisi, 8(2): 517–534. https://doi.org/10.17680/erciyesiletisim.900433
  48. Ventura, S. (2024) “War and Its Imagery: The Visual Narrative of the Ukrainian State’s Instagram Account Ukraine.Ua as a Tool of Digital Public Diplomacy”, International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2024.2395407
  49. Wang, S., & Ji, Q. (2015) “Video Affective Content Analysis: A Survey of State-Of-The-Art Methods”, IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing, 6(4): 410–430. https://doi.org/10.1109/TAFFC.2015.2432791
  50. Yarchi, M., & Boxman-Shabtai, L. (2023) “The Image War Moves to TikTok: Evidence from the May 2021 Round of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”, Digital Journalism, 13(1): 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2023.2291650
  51. Zhang, W., Mei, J., Song, W., Evans, R., & Xiang, Y. (2021) “Why Do Citizens Engage with The TikTok Accounts of Public Hospitals in China?”, Sage Open, 11(4): 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211061568