Twitter (X) diplomacy: The use of Twitter by non-career ambassadors (2006-2024)

In this research, the use of the social media platform Twitter (X) by non-career ambassadors was examined. The aim of the research is to analyze the use of Twitter diplomacy by examining the Twitter usage data of non-career ambassadors. In this context, the research sample consists of non-career ambassadors who served between 2006 and 2024. The posts made by the ambassadors on their personal Twitter accounts were examined using the web content analysis technique within the scope of the case study model. In order to obtain more accurate data, the tweets were categorized. These categories are Migration and Refugees, the Middle East, Africa, Terrorism, and Diaspora. The ambassadors' tweets, retweets, and likes about the relevant concepts were analyzed. To examine the effects of non-career ambassadors on Twitter diplomacy, the subheadings of Propaganda, Dialogue Establishment, Information Dissemination, and Agenda Setting were determined, and the posts related to these subheadings were addressed within the scope of the research. The data obtained show that certain non-career ambassadors actively use Twitter, foreign public opinion could not be formed, diaspora in the host country is supported by the use of Twitter, and sufficient efforts are made in the areas of propaganda and information dissemination. The findings obtained from the study were evaluated within the scope of the literature, and recommendations for future studies were made.