POLITICAL COMMUNICATION IN MODERN TÜRKİYE

Political parties need advertising and propaganda, just like brands. They carry out these communications in many different time periods, especially during campaigns and election periods, in order to consolidate their own voter base and gain the sympathy of different voter groups.

In this study, I will first explain the concepts of political communication and political advertising, and then think about the advertising campaigns of political parties in Turkey.

Political Communication and Political Advertising

In contemporary democracies, political advertising is an important tool for influencing the interaction of political parties and voters with voters. The term itself only appeared in very recent times, but the the most noble and admired forms of political communication were probably the Greek and Latin arts of rhetoric (Wolton, 1990). The US Washington State Codes definition of political advertising, which was updated in 2020 to include that, is perhaps one of the most comprehensive: “Political advertising includes any advertising displays, newspaper ads, billboards, signs, brochures, articles, flyers, letters, “radio or television presentations, digital or social media advertising, or other means of mass communication, used for the purpose of appealing, directly or indirectly, for votes or for financial or other support in any election campaign”. In today's world, political communication is not a choice but a necessity for political parties. It is very difficult for a party that does not advertise during election processes to be successful. Research by Katz and Lazarsfeld (1964) highlights this, suggesting media exposure plays a crucial role in agenda-setting and reinforcing existing predispositions Secondly, political ads can be used to frame the issues of the campaign, shaping how voters perceive the candidates and their platforms (Schattschneider, 1960).

There are many different kinds of political commercials, but the two most popular and often utilized kinds are positive and negative political advertisements. While it is acknowledged that negative political ads can motivate voters, there is occasionally a chance of blowback. As a result, in recent years, politically charged commercials one may argue that it is more popular during campaigns. However, it is evident that both forms of advertising are employed in tandem during election campaigns thanks to the political parties' current actions. (Akar, 2023)

We see different examples of political communication in many democracies of the world. The cultural backgrounds of countries have an important place at this point. Factors such as trust in democracy, election participation rates and the Human Development Index affect both the quality and quantity of political advertisements. Holtz-Bacha & Kaid (2006) wrote that “Even where electoral advertising has acquired a major role as a campaign instrument, there are always some limitations.Why electoral advertising is restricted and which limitations apply can in some cases be traced back to influences from the specific political, electoral, or media system” (p. 12)

Political Communication in Turkey

The first election of the Republic of Turkey was the presidential election held in the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 1923. With this election, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was elected president. In this process, political advertisements mostly aimed at propaganda of the newly established republic. On the other hand, the uncompetitive election environment brought by the single-party election system significantly reduced the need for political communication until 1946. After the Second World War, the world began to become bipolar. In this process, the Republican People's Party, which was in power in Turkey, and President İsmet İnönü, under the influence of various reasons, wanted Turkey to be in the Western bloc and especially within NATO. In order to enter this bloc, a transition was made from the single-party system that had existed for many years to a multi-party democratic system. The 1946 elections were Turkey's first multi-party elections. With this election, advertisements began to take an important place in election campaigns.

When it comes to political advertising in Turkey, there are some important campaigns we should mention. These campaigns have influenced both political life and advertising, both with their first occurrence and their impact on election results. The first of these is the slogan "Enough, the word belongs to the nation" used by the Democratic Party in the 1950 General Elections and the poster identified with this slogan. The poster was designed by Selçuk Milar in one night. Considering the historical, social and economic background of the "Enough say, the word belongs to the nation" poster It has become a cliché tradition of Turkish political public relations to be warmed up and presented to the voters by many political parties without any consideration (Keloğlu, 2007). Radio was used effectively in the period between 1946 and 1960. While a radio speech was made for the first election in 1949, in 1949 province radio advertisement was broadcast.

With the military coup that took place on May 27, 1960, the Democratic Party was closed, 3 of its executives were executed and many of its senior executives were imprisoned. The new constitution brought by the coup plotters brought left-libertarian innovations in many senses. In the post-coup civilian period, the political scene was very active. The remarkable feature of this period is the prominence of ideological propaganda as well as political advertisements. Additionally, during this period, parties distributed their songs to voters through records.

The election campaign of the Justice Party conducted by Cenajans in the 1977 elections was an important milestone. In the 1977 general elections, for the first time, a political party worked with an advertising agency instead of running its own election campaign. This situation is considered a turning point in Turkey's political and advertising history. After this election campaign carried out by the Justice Party with Cenajans, other political parties began to shape their campaigns by receiving professional support from advertising agencies in all elections. (Şimşek, 2023). During this period, the first TV propaganda was made within the scope of the Justice Party campaign. Süleyman Demirel, a campaign was made with the program called "Demirel is a Guest in Your Home". The importance of radio decreased and television began to come to the fore. On the other hand, Bülent Ecevit used election buses for the first time in his campaign in the 1977 elections.

With the military coup on September 12, 1980, existing political parties were closed down. With the return to democracy, Turgut Özal's Motherland Party emerged victorious as the first party in the first elections. One of the prominent principles of the 1983 elections was based on the National Security Council decision published in the Official Gazette on July 7, 1983. With this decision, political parties were given the authority to place paid advertisements in newspapers, and two of the three parties participating in the elections were given the opportunity to work with agencies during the elections. (Özkan, 2004) It should not be forgotten that at that time, Turkey was rapidly integrating into the capitalist world and transitioning to neoliberal policies. Military rule closed down old parties and allowed new parties to be established. The Motherland Party, led by Turgut Özal, brought an innovative perspective to election campaigns by working with Man Ajans in the 1983 elections. The most important of these innovations was that Özal's interviews with journalist Mehmet Barlas and rally footage were recorded and sent to district organizations via video cassettes. (Topuz, 1991)

The 90s were years when coalition governments were in power in Turkey and political instability came to the fore. During this period, many old and new political actors appeared on the political scene. In addition, the 90s were a period in which consumer culture and, accordingly, advertisements gained importance in Turkey. (Dağtaş, 2009). During this period, private television broadcasting started in Turkey. The entertainment broadcasting trend started with channels such as STAR 1, of which Turgut Özal's son is one of the partners. Private television channels have broken the bureaucratic rigid conservatism of TRT. TRT, where even arabesque music was banned in the past, was replaced by new channels with a pop music trend. New Right parties, which are on the rise not only in Turkey but also in Europe, have mobilized the masses by effectively using popular culture tools. (Ozkan, 2004). The spread of TV and the emergence of private channels have converted the way political parties and leaders deliver their dispatches to large cult. Political juggernauts are designed to attract the public's attention by exercising the power of visual and audio rudiments. Political parties have rearranged their crusade strategies and public relations sweats to acclimatize to the new dynamics of the media. Professional communication experts and advisors have made detailed plans to convey political dispatches effectively. Political conversations conducted through the media have caused political communication to transfigure not only in terms of content but also in terms of form and donation. Political leaders conveyed their political views and programs to the public by sharing in TV programs and writing columns in journals.

The 1990s also witnessed the metamorphosis in political communication that contributed to Turkey's democratization process. The adding part of the media has increased the translucency of political processes and the participation of the public in political processes. This period needed political actors and the media to come more sensitive to the demands and prospects of the public. Öztürk (2004) wrote that, in the 1990s, the political communication race of Mesut Yılmaz's ANAP and Tansu Çiller's DYP was based on popular culture and popular songs. Every leader and party has started to have an advertising company or campaign company. (p. 207) As a result, the 1990s were a transformative fairy od in terms of the modernization of political communication and the adding influence of the media on politics. Political communication is now honored as a critical tool not only for conveying political dispatches but also for icing the public's active participation in political processes.

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party), which stepped into the Turkish political scene in 2002, attracted attention with its political communication strategies. The party has managed to reach a wide range of choosers by flaunting innovative approaches in public relations and media operation since its establishment. The JDP's success in political communication started with the relationship of a leader-acquainted approach. The attractive leadership and strong public relations chops of the party's founding leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, have played an important part in conveying the party's dispatches effectively. Erdoğan's particular communication style has been effective in attracting the public's attention and establishing an emotional bond with them. The party has also taken innovative way in media strategies. In addition to traditional media channels, it effectively used social media and digital platforms to communicate with youthful and technology-smart choosers. In particular, platforms similar as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have played a central part in the party's political juggernauts andL diurnal dispatches.

AKP's political positioning and strategies during its 22 years of uninterrupted power; It varies with both the developments in the world conjuncture and the sharp maneuvers in country policies. For this reason, political communication has also undergone changes in terms of content. If we need to evaluate it basically as two periods, while "democratization, multiculturalism, EU Process, economic developments" were emphasized in the period between 2002 and 2010; With the 2013 Gezi Uprising, we see that nationalist-conservative elements became more dominant, as well as concepts such as "nationalism, enemy threat, polarization". In his article examining the advertisements of the parties in the 2023 General Elections, Şahin (2023) says about JDP's advertisements, "Traditional and religious values are highlighted in advertisements that appeal to emotions." It has been determined that symbols such as flags, adhan, mosques and prayers are used, thus taking into account social layers that are sensitive about spiritual values. "Advertisements that highlight the achievements include mega projects, investments in the defense industry and various technological developments." (p. 221)

Since 1946, when multi-party democratic elections began, Turkey has a functioning and vibrant democracy, although it has been disrupted by coups from time to time. For this reason, it is very rich in the field of political communication and advertising. The advertising campaigns of the parties are also very interesting in terms of reflecting the spirit of the period. The adventure, which started with wall posters, radio broadcasts and records in the 1950s, continues today with current issues such as social media, big data and artificial intelligence. In Turkey, which has a very lively and contentious political arena, political communication efforts are likely to last for many years.

References

Akar, F. (2023). Siyasal Seçim Kampanyalarında Siyasal Reklam: 14 Mayıs 2023 Seçiminde Ak Parti ve CHP Reklamlarının Analizi. Abant Journal of Cultural Studies, 8(16), 165–182.

Kaid, L. L., & Holtz-Bacha, C. (2006). The sage handbook of political advertising. SAGE Publications.

Katz, E., & Lazarsfeld, P. F. (1964). Personal influence the part played by people in the flow of Mass Communications. Free Press u.a.

Keloğlu, E. (2007). Demokrat Parti’nin halkla ilişkileri üzerine bir inceleme . İletişim Kuram ve Araştırma Dergisi , 24, 111–128.

Schattschneider, E. E. (1960). The semisovereign people: A realist’s view of democracy in America. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Wolton, D. (1990). Political communication: The construction of a model. European Journal of Communication, 5(1), 9–28. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323190005001002 

ÖZKAN, N. (2004). Seçim Kazandıran Kampanyalar. İstanbul: Mediacat Yayınları.

Öztürk, S. (2014). Siyasal İkna Ve Seçim Müzikleri: Türkiye Üzerine Bir İnceleme. İletişim Ve Diplomasi(4), 195-218.

Şahin, A., Bilis, A., & Demir , L. (2023). MAYIS 2023 TÜRKİYE GENEL SEÇİMLERİNDE SİYASAL PARTİLERİN KULLANDIĞI SİYASAL REKLAM VİDEOLARI ÜZERİNE BİR ANALİZ. 9th International Başkent Congress on Humanities and Social Sciences.

ŞİMŞEK, Ü. I. (2023). Türkiye’s first professional political advertising campaign: The Justice Party, Cenajans and the 1977 general elections. Kastamonu İletişim Araştırmaları Dergisi, (11), 157–193. https://doi.org/10.56676/kiad.1353960