The role of social media in political communication: Use of Twitter in the 2011 General Elections in Turkey

This study is a part of a comprehensive research supported by TÜBİTAK SOBAG (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey - Social Sciences and Humanities Research Grant Group), which investigates with quantitative and qualitative methods the practices involved in the usage of the social media by political parties and political party leaders as a channel/area for political communication. The aim for this study is to demonstrate, within the framework of the developing citizenship culture, the discourse practices and the political language of the political parties that emerges as a result of the effective use of social media environments in political communication campaigns.