Re-Evaluating Turkish-Greek Relations in the Digital Age: An Analysis of Instagram
Within the millet system of the Ottoman Empire, a segment of the non-Muslim population was integrated; in the Republic of Türkiye, however, our relations with the Greeks as neighbors have varied over the course of history, especially depending on political developments. This study explores how nations perceive one another, approach each other, and define the "neighbor" or "other" in the digital age by analyzing Instagram posts tagged with #TürkYunanDostluğu, #TurkishGreekFriendship, #TürkiyeYunanistan, and #TurkeyGreece. The analysis is limited to posts explicitly addressing Turkish-Greek communication, shared between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024. Using content analysis, the study investigates how users perceive and engage with one another through these posts. The selected hashtags provide valuable insight into the influence of digital communication on cultural and societal relations. The study’s originality lies in its focus on digital communication to analyze Turkish-Greek relations. This Instagram-based exploration is expected to contribute meaningfully and uniquely to the existing literature by presenting a new perspective on interactions between the two nations.
Dijital Çağda Türk-Yunan İlişkilerini Yeniden Değerlendirmek: Instagram Örnekleminde Bir Analiz
Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’ndaki millet sisteminde gayrimüslim nüfusun bir parçası, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nde ise komşu olarak Yunanlar ile ilişkilerimiz tarihî süreç içerisinde özellikle siyasi gelişmelere bağlı olarak değişiklik göstermektedir. Bu kapsamda, milletlerin birbirleri hakkındaki görüşleri, birbirlerine yaklaşımları, iletişimin dijital hâli ve “komşu” ya da “öteki”ne dair algılamaları #TürkYunanDostluğu, #TurkishGreekFriendship, #TürkiyeYunanistan ve #TurkeyGreece etiketleriyle yapılan Instagram paylaşımları üzerinden değerlendirilecektir. Paylaşımlar ince lenirken Türk-Yunan iletişimini temel alan gönderiler değerlendirmeye alınacaktır. İncelenecek gönderilerin tarih aralığı 1 Ocak 2024-31 Aralık 2024 şeklinde sınırlandırılacaktır. İlgili gönderilerde kullanıcıların birbirlerini algılama ve birbirlerine yaklaşımları incelenerek paylaşımlar üzerinde içerik analizi yapılacaktır. Örneklem olarak belirlenen etiketler üzerinden iletişimin analiz edilmesi, dijital çağda kültürel ve toplumsal ilişkiler üzerindeki etkisini göstermesi açısından önem taşımaktadır. Çalışmanın özgünlüğü ise Türk-Yunan ilişkilerinin dijital iletişim temelli bir yaklaşımla analiz edilmesi noktasında ortaya çıkmaktadır. Bu doğrultuda, Yunan halkı ile ilişkilerin dijital mecralar üzerinden incelenerek analiz edilmesinin mevcut literatüre anlamlı ve özgün bir katkı sunması beklenmektedir.
Turkish-Greek relations extend from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic of Türkiye. The relationship between the Turkish and Greeks has undergone periodic changes throughout history, particularly influenced by political devel opments.
The starting point of these relations is the Ottoman Empire, a multi-ethnic entity that consisted of two major groups: “Muslims and non-Muslims.” The Greeks, along with the Armenians and Jews, were part of the non-Muslim subjects. The widespread effects of the French Revolution also influenced the Ottoman Empire, leading to uprisings in the Balkans, with Greece being the first to gain independence from the empire in 1821. This marked the end of four centuries of Ottoman rule. With the establishment of the independent Kingdom of Greece in 1830, the Turks were perceived in Greek national consciousness as the “Enemy” or “The Other.”
During World War I, the defeat of the Ottoman Empire led to the Greek occupation and the attempted annexation of Western Anatolia. However, the Turkish nation’s struggle for independence under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Pasha resulted in victory, and Western Anatolia was reclaimed. One of the significant historical events between the two countries is the 1923 Population Exchange. This exchange, a crucial factor in the nation-building processes of both Türkiye and Greece, forcibly relocated approximately two million people between the two nations. Between 1923 and 1950, the process of rapprochement and cooperation between Türkiye and Greece was significantly influenced by the communication between their leaders, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and Eleftherios Venizelos. The efforts of these two post-war states to find solutions to problems and improve neighborly relations continued in a balanced manner.
In more recent history, the first wave of migration of Istanbul Greeks to Greece began with the events of September 6-7, 1955, followed by the forced migration of 1964. However, a positive shift in Turkish-Greek relations began in 1999. During earthquake disasters in both countries, government-backed aid efforts and increased mutual assistance between the people fostered stronger ties. Additionally, post-1999 developments in trade created a mutually benefi cial atmosphere. Fundamental issues such as Cyprus, the Aegean Sea, minority rights, and the Ecumenical Patriarchate remain areas of contention, with periodic attempts at resolution. Nevertheless, both nations have demonstrated mutual support in times of disasters such as earthquakes, wildfires, and floods. Over time, it has become evident that political dynamics and other periodic influences have shaped not only political relations but also social and cultural interactions.
In the digital age, daily lives and, consequently, communication methods have been shaped by technology and the internet. Our study examines how Turkish-Greek relations and communication are reflected on social media in the digital era. This analysis was conducted through posts shared using hashtags such as #TürkYunanDostluğu, #Turkish GreekFriendship, #TürkiyeYunanistan, and #TurkeyGreece on Instagram. A total of 4,321 posts were retrieved through a search using these hashtags, but only 2,357 were shared from public accounts. Therefore, the study proceeded with the analysis of these 2,357 posts, of which 58 were posted between January 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, by 54 distinct accounts.
Five research questions were formulated for analyzing the posts: (1) Nationality of account owners (Turkish, Greek, or other); (2) Message conveyed in the posts (positive, negative, or neutral); (3) Type of accounts (personal, business, or content creator); (4) Content categories (travel, entertainment, informational, language education, news, culture, politics, advertising, personal); and (5) Type of visual content used (photo or reels).
The data analysis revealed that the most frequently used hashtag was #TürkYunanDostluğu with 28 posts, followed by #TürkiyeYunanistan with 11 posts, #TurkeyGreece with 10 posts, and #TurkishGreekFriendship with 9 posts. Of the 54 account owners, 39 were Turkish, 5 were Greek, and 10 belonged to foreign nationals classified under the "other" category. Among the 58 examined posts, 41 conveyed positive messages, 3 were negative, and 14 were neutral. Regarding account types, 27 were personal accounts, 15 were content creator accounts, and 12 were business accounts. In terms of content type, 13 posts were advertisements, 12 were news-related, 10 were personal, 7 were cultural, 5 were travel-related, 10 provided informational content, and 1 focused on language education. Notably, there were no posts related to entertainment or politics. Regarding the use of visual media, 54 posts contained photos, while only 4 used reels, indicating a higher preference for photo-based sharing.
The analysis of the Instagram posts examined in our study reveals that technological advancements have fostered a new form of interaction and connection between the two nations. Social media provides opportunities for learning foreign languages, sharing political, social, and cultural information, and meeting new people, which also influences Turkish-Greek relations. The findings indicate that positive posts are predominant.
By analyzing Turkish-Greek relations through a communication-based approach in the digital age, this study is expected to make a significant contribution to the literature on contemporary relations between the two nations.
