Research Article

The Construction of Social Discourse Towards Syrians on Social Media During Crisis Situations: A Study on the 2024 Kayseri Events

Volume: 16 Number: 30 June 30, 2025
EN TR

The Construction of Social Discourse Towards Syrians on Social Media During Crisis Situations: A Study on the 2024 Kayseri Events

Abstract

This study examines the Kayseri events, which began on June 30, 2024, following the public dissemination of allegations that a child had been abused by a person claimed to be Syrian. These allegations triggered reactions from the local population against Syrians, escalating into violent acts and ultimately leading to a societal crisis. The study aims to analyze how and in what context social discourse towards Syrians is shaped on social media platforms during crises. Accordingly, a total of 1,568 entries under five different topics on one of the prominent online social media platforms, Ekşi Sözlük, were examined using content analysis methods, including word cloud analysis, thematic analysis, and sentiment analysis. Following the sentiment analysis, the Hate Speech Intensity Scale was applied to entries classified as negative. Findings from the word cloud analysis indicate that discussions primarily revolved around the themes of “identity, security, and politics.” Thematic analysis results reveal that the most frequently observed themes were anti-immigrant sentiment (30.7%), criticisms of current migration policies (27.2%), and racism (16.4%). Moreover 82.5% of the analyzed entries were classified as negative and supportive of attacks against Syrians. These entries prominently fell under “Level 4: Demonizing and Dehumanizing (28.4%)” and “Level 5: Violence (21.3%)” categories within the Hate Speech Intensity Scale. These findings demonstrate that, during crises, social discourse towards Syrians on social media is shaped by racism, xenophobia, and hate speech.

Keywords

References

  1. Aldemir, A. (2020). Kötülüğün sıradanlığı ve sosyal medya: Twitter’da Suriyeli mülteciler örneği. Dumlupınar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 66, 200–219.
  2. Alhojailan, M. I. (2012). Thematic analysis: A critical review of its process and evaluation. In WEI International European Academic Conference Proceedings (pp. 8–21).
  3. Alonso, S., & Claro da Fonseca, S. (2012). Immigration, left and right. Party Politics, 18(6), 865–884. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354068810393265.
  4. Althusser, L. (2015). İdeoloji ve devletin ideolojik aygıtları (A. Tümertekin, Trans.). İstanbul: İthaki Yayınları.
  5. Atenstaedt, R. (2012). Word cloud analysis of the BJGP. British Journal of General Practice, 62(596), 148. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp12X630142.
  6. Bahador, B. (2020). Classifying and identifying the intensity of hate speech. Items: Insights from the Social Sciences. Retrieved February 2, 2025, from https://items.ssrc.org/disinformation-democracy-and-conflict-prevention/classifying-and-identifying-the-intensity-of-hate-speech/.
  7. Bauman, Z. (2021). Kapımızdaki yabancılar (E. Barca, Trans.). İstanbul: Ayrıntı Yayınları.
  8. BBC Türkçe. (2024a). Kayseri Olayları: Türkiye genelinde gözaltına alınan 1065 kişiden 28’i tutuklandı. BBC Türkçe. Retrieved February 15, 2025, from https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/crgmzv9p2y3o.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Social Media Studies, Social Media Applications and Analysis, Communication and Media Studies (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 30, 2025

Submission Date

May 22, 2025

Acceptance Date

June 23, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 16 Number: 30

APA
Arslan, M. (2025). The Construction of Social Discourse Towards Syrians on Social Media During Crisis Situations: A Study on the 2024 Kayseri Events. Global Media Journal Turkish Edition, 16(30), 46-75. https://izlik.org/JA52KR42PJ
AMA
1.Arslan M. The Construction of Social Discourse Towards Syrians on Social Media During Crisis Situations: A Study on the 2024 Kayseri Events. Global Media Journal Turkish Edition. 2025;16(30):46-75. https://izlik.org/JA52KR42PJ
Chicago
Arslan, Memet. 2025. “The Construction of Social Discourse Towards Syrians on Social Media During Crisis Situations: A Study on the 2024 Kayseri Events”. Global Media Journal Turkish Edition 16 (30): 46-75. https://izlik.org/JA52KR42PJ.
EndNote
Arslan M (June 1, 2025) The Construction of Social Discourse Towards Syrians on Social Media During Crisis Situations: A Study on the 2024 Kayseri Events. Global Media Journal Turkish Edition 16 30 46–75.
IEEE
[1]M. Arslan, “The Construction of Social Discourse Towards Syrians on Social Media During Crisis Situations: A Study on the 2024 Kayseri Events”, Global Media Journal Turkish Edition, vol. 16, no. 30, pp. 46–75, June 2025, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA52KR42PJ
ISNAD
Arslan, Memet. “The Construction of Social Discourse Towards Syrians on Social Media During Crisis Situations: A Study on the 2024 Kayseri Events”. Global Media Journal Turkish Edition 16/30 (June 1, 2025): 46-75. https://izlik.org/JA52KR42PJ.
JAMA
1.Arslan M. The Construction of Social Discourse Towards Syrians on Social Media During Crisis Situations: A Study on the 2024 Kayseri Events. Global Media Journal Turkish Edition. 2025;16:46–75.
MLA
Arslan, Memet. “The Construction of Social Discourse Towards Syrians on Social Media During Crisis Situations: A Study on the 2024 Kayseri Events”. Global Media Journal Turkish Edition, vol. 16, no. 30, June 2025, pp. 46-75, https://izlik.org/JA52KR42PJ.
Vancouver
1.Memet Arslan. The Construction of Social Discourse Towards Syrians on Social Media During Crisis Situations: A Study on the 2024 Kayseri Events. Global Media Journal Turkish Edition [Internet]. 2025 Jun. 1;16(30):46-75. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA52KR42PJ