Marketing as A Cultural Diplomacy Weapon: Qualitative Research on Türkiye Scholarships Students Studying in Ankara

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this study is to determine how the activities of public institutions such as Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), Yunus Emre Institute (YEE), Turkish Maarif Foundation, and Kızılay- which carry out public diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, cooperation, development, and humanitarian diplomacy activities- in the nation brand area are perceived by the Türkiye Scholarships students in their countries and regions. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 24 international Türkiye Scholarships students from 17 countries studying in Ankara were reached by using purposeful sampling and snowball sampling techniques. In the research, the in-depth interview technique, one of the qualitative data collection techniques, and structured and semi-structured interview questions were used. Findings – According to the data obtained from the interviews, it was determined that while students had expected to find a more conservative country before coming to Türkiye, they found a more secular, free, and open country after arriving. Discussion – As a result of the research, it was revealed that in marketing communication to be established for target markets, it is important to consider word-of-mouth marketing, viral marketing, Turkish TV series, social media, the internet, and visits made by institutions, and suggestions for further research were presented.