Social media as a political propaganda tool: Analysis of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidates' posts on X Platform in 2024 Local Elections

In the early 2000s, the propaganda of upcoming developments was carried out through traditional media channels using the discourse of the new millennium. This marked the beginning of a revolution and transformation in the mass communication tools of the 20th century. With the development of the internet, its widespread global adoption, and the emergence of social media platforms, reaching and communicating with the masses has become much easier. Recognizing the convenience offered by social media, political leaders began to use these platforms as tools of propaganda during election periods as well as before and after them in order to reach wider audiences. In this context, the present study aims to analyze the social media posts of the 2024 Local Election candidates for Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality on the platform "X" in terms of propaganda techniques. A content analysis was conducted on the posts shared between February 9 and March 30, 2024, by Murat Kurum (the candidate of the AKP-MHP alliance—People's Alliance), Ekrem İmamoğlu (CHP), M. Satuk Buğra Kavuncu (İYİ Party), Birol Aydın (SP), and Meral Danış Beştaş (DEM Party). All posts of the candidates, including their most interacted posts, hashtags, content themes, propaganda techniques, and propaganda rules, were evaluated within the scope of the analysis.