Comparative Analysis of Digital Diplomacy Strategies of Iran and Turkey

The utilization of digital technologies in the conduct of public diplomacy has opened up new opportunities for traditional diplomatic communication giving rise to the phenomenon of digital diplomacy. Iran and Turkey, the two regional powers of the Middle East, have already taken an advantage of deploying social media in diplomatic communication. The thesis aims to explore the methods, means and ends of Iran’s and Turkey’s digital diplomacy to promote state foreign policy objectives. The study is built upon the theory of conventional constructivism in International Relations. Through the constructivist lens, the theoretical part of the study assesses the peculiarities of the targeted states’ foreign policy decision-making and behaviors, identifies public diplomacy practices in the aspect of communication with foreign audiences. The empirical part of the study focuses on the content analysis of Twitter posts generated by the officials, reveals key characteristics of Iran’s and Turkey’s digital diplomacy strategies, and evaluates digital diplomacy proclaimed effectiveness.