Comparative Analysis of Social Media Posts on Immigration and Identity Policies: The Case of Turkey and Japan

Abstract

This study examines how state institutions in Turkey and Japan utilize social media to discursively construct national identity in the context of migration. Through a comparative critical discourse and content analysis, it investigates the following research question: How do the official social media channels of the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications and Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications frame migration and negotiate the inclusion of migrants into their respective national identities? Data comprise posts from YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) accounts containing keywords related to migration (2019-2025). The analysis reveals two distinct models. Turkish discourse leverages religious-historical metaphors (e.g., ensar-muhacir), emotional narratives, and humanitarian themes to foster a sense of cultural belonging and integration. Conversely, Japanese discourse presents migration primarily as a technical solution to demographic and economic challenges, emphasizing bureaucratic procedures, regional revitalization, and systemic adaptation, while largely avoiding direct cultural or identity-based appeals. The findings demonstrate that social media serves as a key ideological arena where states perform identity politics, with strategies deeply rooted in divergent historical, cultural, and political contexts. This study contributes to understanding the digital dimensions of public diplomacy and the discursive mechanisms of migrant integration in the age of networked communication.

Keywords

• Migration
• National Identity
• Social Media
• Directorate of Communications of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey
• Discourse
• Identity Construction
• Public Communication

Göç ve Kimlik Politikalarına İlişkin Sosyal Medya Paylaşımlarının Karşılaştırmalı Analizi: Türkiye ve Japonya Örneği

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Türkiye ve Japonya'daki devlet kurumlarının, göç bağlamında ulusal kimliği söylemsel olarak inşa etmek için sosyal medyayı nasıl kullandığını incelemektedir. Karşılaştırmalı eleştirel söylem ve içerik analizi yöntemiyle şu araştırma sorusuna yanıt aranmaktadır: Türkiye Cumhurbaşkanlığı İletişim Başkanlığı ve Japonya İçişleri ve İletişim Bakanlığı'nın resmi sosyal medya kanalları, göç olgusunu nasıl çerçeveliyor ve göçmenlerin ulusal kimliklerine dâhil edilmesini nasıl müzakere ediyor? Araştırmanın verisini, her iki kurumun YouTube ve X (eski adıyla Twitter) hesaplarında göç ile ilgili anahtar kelimeler içeren ve 2019-2025 dönemini kapsayan paylaşımlar oluşturmaktadır. Analiz, birbirinden belirgin biçimde ayrışan iki model ortaya koymaktadır. Türkiye'ye ait söylem, dini-tarihsel metaforları (ensar-muhacir), duygusal anlatıları ve insani temaları kullanarak, kültürel aidiyet ve toplumsal uyumu teşvik eden bir model geliştirmiştir. Buna karşılık, Japonya'ya ait söylem göçü temel olarak demografik ve ekonomik zorluklara yönelik teknik bir çözüm olarak sunmakta; bürokratik prosedürlere, bölgesel canlandırmaya ve sisteme uyuma vurgu yaparken, doğrudan kültürel veya kimlik temelli çağrılardan büyük ölçüde kaçınmaktadır. Bulgular, sosyal medyanın devletlerin kimlik politikalarını icra ettikleri temel bir ideolojik alan işlevi gördüğünü ve bu stratejilerin her iki ülkenin tarihsel, kültürel ve siyasi bağlamlarından derinlemesine beslendiğini göstermektedir. Bu çalışma, ağ tabanlı iletişim çağında kamu diplomasisinin dijital boyutlarını ve göçmen entegrasyonunun söylemsel mekanizmalarını anlamaya yönelik bir katkı sunmaktadır.

Keywords

• Göç
• Ulusal Kimlik
• Sosyal Medya
• Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Cumhurbaşkanlığı İletişim Başkanlığı
• Japonya İçişleri ve İletişim Bakanlığı
• Söylem
• Kimlik İnşası
• Kamu İletişimi

References

1. Kaynakça Balcı. M. E (2022). Forced Migration: An Evaluation within the Framework of Identity, Belonging and Adaptation. Tezkire Journal, 81. pp.109- 124.
2. Brown, P. & Levinson, S. (1987). Courtesy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
3. Calhoun, C. (2012). Nationalism, B. Sütçüoğlu (Trans.) İstanbul: İstanbul Bilgi University Publications.
4. Castells, M. (2005). The Information Age: Economy, Society, and Culture, The Rise of the Network Society. Ebru Kılıç (Trans.), İstanbul: İstanbul Bilgi University Publications.
5. Cengiz, S. (2010). Migration, Identity and Literature. Zeitschrift for die Welt der Türken, 2(3), 185-193. https://doi.org/.
6. Çetin, M., & Bel, A. (2014). The Role of Social Media in Setting the Traditional Media Agenda. Journal of Communication Theory and Research, (38), 56-73. https://izlik.org/JA22MB86ZF
7. Eberl, J. M., Meltzer, C.E., Heidenreich, T., Herrero, B., Theorin, N., Lind, F., Strömbäck, J. (2018). European media discourse on migration and its effects: a literature review. Annals of the International Communication Association, 42 (3), 207-223. https://doi.org/10.1080/23808985.2018.1497452
8. Ekici, S. & Tuncel, G. (2016). Migration and Human. Individual and Society Journal of Social Sciences, 5(1), 9-22. https://doi.org/10.20493/bt.71783

9. Eren, V. & Çakran, Ş. (2017). Refugee Policy: A Comparison of the European Union and Turkey. Mustafa Kemal University Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 14(39), 1-30.https://izlik.org/JA93HE43GL
10. Grice, H. P. (1975). Logic and speech. Speech acts (syntax and semantics 3), Eds. Cole, P. and Morgan, J. 41-58. New York, NY: Academic Press.
11. Hepkul, A. (2002). Content Analysis as a Social Science Research Method. Anadolu University Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 18(1), 1-12. https://izlik.org/JA97MA26EY
12. https://www.facebook.com/iletisimbaskanligi/ Access Date: 29.07.2024
13. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgpi/ Access Date: 29.07.2024
14. https://www.iletisim.gov.tr/turkce/kurum-hakkinda https://www.instagram.com/iletisim/ Access Date: 30.07.2024
15. https://www.linkedin.com/company/iletisimbaskanligi/ Access Date: 29.07.2024
16. https://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_syokai/index.html
17. https://www.youtube.com/c/iletisimbaskanligi Access Date: 29.07.2024
18. https://x.com/iletisim Access Date: 29.07.2024
19. International Organization for Migration. (2015). Key Migration Terms. International Organization for Migration. Retrieved from https://www.iom.int/keymigration-terms.
20. Karaduman, M. (2011). Can Social Media be an Alternative to Traditional Media? Ege University Faculty of Communication New Thoughts Refereed E-Journal, (6), 47-64. https://izlik.org/JA28CG76ZG
21. Mance, B. & Splichal, S. (2024). Refugees and (Immigrants): (Re)conceptualizing and (Re) contextualizing Migration in the Media. Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/15562948.2024.2324305
22. Metin, O. & Ünal, Ş. (2022). Content Analysis Technique: Its Use in Doctoral Theses in Communication Sciences and Sociology. Anadolu University Journal of Social Sciences, 22(Special Issue 2), 273-294. https://doi.org/10.18037/ausbd.1227356
23. Official Gazette. (2013). Law on Foreigners and International Protection (YUKK), No: 28615. https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2013/04/20130411-2.htm
24. Özdemir, Ö. C. & Taşcıoğlu, R. (2022). Social Media Use in Corporate Communications: A Study on the Presidential Directorate of Communications. Black Sea International Scientific Journal, 1(53), 65-81. https://doi.org/10.17498/kdeniz.1070535
25. Balcı. M. E (2022). Forced Migration: An Evaluation within the Framework of Identity, Belonging and Adaptation. Tezkire Journal, 81. pp.109-124.
26. Brown, P. & Levinson, S. (1987). Courtesy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Calhoun, C. (2012). Nationalism, B. Sütçüoğlu (Trans.) İstanbul: İstanbul Bilgi University Publications.
27. Castells, M. (2005). The Information Age: Economy, Society, and Culture, The Rise of the Network Society. Ebru Kılıç (Trans.), İstanbul: İstanbul Bilgi University Publications.
28. Cengiz, S. (2010). Migration, Identity and Literature. Zeitschrift for die Welt der Türken, 2(3), 185-193. https://doi.org/.
29. Çetin, M., & Bel, A. (2014). The Role of Social Media in Setting the Traditional Media Agenda. Journal of Communication Theory and Research, (38), 56-73. https://izlik.org/JA22MB86ZF
30. Eberl, J. M., Meltzer, C.E., Heidenreich, T., Herrero, B., Theorin, N., Lind, F., Strömbäck, J. (2018). European media discourse on migration and its effects: a literature review. Annals of the International Communication Association, 42 (3), 207-223. https://doi.org/10.1080/23808985.2018.1497452
31. Ekici, S. & Tuncel, G. (2016). Migration and Human. Individual and Society Journal of Social Sciences, 5(1), 9-22. https://doi.org/10.20493/bt.71783
32. Eren, V. & Çakran, Ş. (2017). Refugee Policy: A Comparison of the European Union and Turkey. Mustafa Kemal University Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 14(39), 1-30. https://izlik.org/JA93HE43GL
33. Grice, H. P. (1975). Logic and speech. Speech acts (syntax and semantics 3), Eds. Cole, P. and Morgan, J. 41-58. New York, NY: Academic Press.
34. Hepkul, A. (2002). Content Analysis as a Social Science Research Method. Anadolu University Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 18(1), 1-12. https://izlik.org/JA97MA26EY
35. https://www.facebook.com/iletisimbaskanligi/ Access Date: 29.07.2024
36. https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgpi/ Access Date: 29.07.2024
37. https://www.iletisim.gov.tr/turkce/kurum-hakkinda
38. https://www.instagram.com/iletisim/ Access Date: 30.07.2024
39. https://www.linkedin.com/company/iletisimbaskanligi/ Access Date: 29.07.2024
40. https://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_syokai/index.html
41. https://www.youtube.com/c/iletisimbaskanligi Access Date: 29.07.2024
42. https://x.com/iletisim Access Date: 29.07.2024
43. International Organization for Migration. (2015). Key Migration Terms. International Organization for Migration. Retrieved from https://www.iom.int/keymigration-terms.
44. Karaduman, M. (2011). Can Social Media be an Alternative to Traditional Media? Ege University Faculty of Communication New Thoughts Refereed E-Journal, (6), 47-64. https://izlik.org/JA28CG76ZG
45. Mance, B. & Splichal, S. (2024). Refugees and (Immigrants): (Re)conceptualizing and (Re) contextualizing Migration in the Media. Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies, 1–18.
46. https://doi.org/10.1080/15562948.2024.2324305
47. Metin, O. & Ünal, Ş. (2022). Content Analysis Technique: Its Use in Doctoral Theses in Communication Sciences and Sociology. Anadolu University Journal of Social Sciences, 22(Special Issue 2), 273-294. https://doi.org/10.18037/ausbd.1227356
48. Official Gazette. (2013). Law on Foreigners and International Protection (YUKK), No: 28615. https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2013/04/20130411-2.htm
49. Özdemir, Ö. C. & Taşcıoğlu, R. (2022). Social Media Use in Corporate Communications: A Study on the Presidential Directorate of Communications. Black Sea International Scientific Journal, 1(53), 65-81. https://doi.org/10.17498/kdeniz.1070535
50. Özkan, R. (2019). The Phenomenon of Migration and Its Effects on Social Structure. Erciyes University Journal of Social Sciences Institute, 33(47), 127-145. https://izlik.org/JA83TW37JW
51. Öztürk, N. Ö. (2015). Determination of the Legal Status of Refugees, Seçkin Publishing, Ankara. Riffe, D., Lacy, S., and Fico, F. G. (2014). Analyzing Media Messages. The Use of Quantitative Content Analysis in Research. 3rd ed. New York: Routledge.
52. Seo, S., & Kavaklı, S. B. (2022). Media representations of refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants: a meta-analysis of the research. Annals of the International Communication Association, 46 (3), 159–173. https://doi.org/10.1080/23808985.2022.2096663
53. Şimşek, S. (2002). Today's Identity Problem and the Fundamental Conflict Axes Where This Problem Occurs. Uludağ University Faculty of Arts and Sciences Journal of Social Sciences, 3(3), 29-39. https://izlik.org/JA35JK29KP
54. Temiz, D. N. (2020). The Role of Orientation Activities Conducted at School in Teaching Turkish to Immigrant and Refugee Students. International Journal of Leadership Education, 2(2), 45-59. https://izlik.org/JA89DC84JR
55. Topbaş, B. (2021). Adaptation of Traditional Media Organs to New Media in Video Content Production: The Example of CNN Türk. Turkish Online Journal of Design Art and Communication, 11(2), 393-402.
56. Uzun, Ş. (2023). Migration, Changing Demography and Migration Management in Turkey as the Republic Enters its Second Century. Contemporary Local Governments, 33(1), 1-32.
57. Yıldırım, A. & Şimşek, H. (2011). Qualitative Research Methods in Social Sciences. Ankara: Seçkin Publishing.