Digital diplomacy as a tool of public diplomacy: A comparative analysis on practices in Türkiye and Germany

Despite abundant resources in the Public Diplomacy literature and the widespread use of digital technologies in Diplomacy, Digital Diplomacy remained neglected. Besides, digital tools and social media are among the most frequently used means for international influence today. This dissertation intends to highlight the gap in the literature on Digital Diplomacy and to emphasize its significance. The study reveals that Digital Diplomacy is an integral part of Public Diplomacy and argues that Public Diplomacy is related to several disciplines, therefore a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies regarding Public Diplomacy should be pursued. This dissertation attempts to present a broad framework by combining literature about Public Diplomacy in the International Relations discipline with other relevant disciplines. Also Digital Diplomacy literature is evaluated, the strengths and weaknesses of Digital Diplomacy are examined, significant practices around the world are mentioned and predictions on the future are presented. Moreover, Türkiye's Digital Diplomacy approach has not been comprehensively compared with any other country so far. In this dissertation, a comparative analysis is presented by examining the Public Diplomacy approaches, Digital Diplomacy strategies and concrete Digital Diplomacy practices of Germany and Türkiye. It is aimed to understand how Türkiye and Germany manage their national images via Public Diplomacy and Digital Diplomacy and to determine best practice examples. The reason for making this comparison with Germany was its deep-rooted history in Public Diplomacy, success in the reconstruction of its national image in short time and high rankings in studies assessing soft power. Due to the fact that this study is mainly interpretive the methods used are mostly qualitative, but quantitative methods are also used in order to present a comprehensive comparison. The study also includes a concluding chapter that discusses the implications of Digital Diplomacy in near future and provides policy recommendations for Digital Diplomacy actors.