In the lead-up to, and during, the Turkish presidential elections, false and misleading information has circulated through various media channels and social media platforms. This dissemination of misinformation occurred after the announcement of the results of the initial round of elections on May 14. The electoral competition involved President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the current President, and his rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Misbar's team had been tracking misinformation regarding the elections and working on debunking them.
Misinformation Ahead and During the First Round of the Turkish Elections
Social media users claimed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Sheikh Hassan Efendi, the leader of the Ismail Aga Community, before the first round of the Turkish elections.
Misbar’s investigation revealed that the circulated video was outdated and actually from Erdogan's visit to the Ismail Aga Community Leader on January 13, 2020.
A photo showing a gathering of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Turkey circulated on social media accounts and pages. The claim accompanying the photo suggested it was shot during the recent mass rally of presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, organized by the opposition Nation Alliance in Ankara on Friday, May 12.
However, Misbar's investigation revealed the photo to be doctored. The photo dates back to December and features a gathering of Argentine fans in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, celebrating their national team's victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Social media users also circulated a video clip purporting to show supporters of Turkish presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu celebrating his victory in the Turkish presidential elections prior to the official announcement of the election results.
Misbar's investigation revealed that the video is old and was published on May 1, 2022. It shows the celebrations of Trabzonspor, a Turkish football club, after winning the title of the Turkish Super League, ending a 39-year championship drought.
Social media users circulated a photo, claiming that it shows the Tunisian flag instead of the Turkish flag on the France 3 channel during coverage of the recent elections in Turkey.
Misbar found that the viral photo was cut from a video clip published in April 2017, which shows the French channel misleadingly displaying the Tunisian flag instead of the Turkish flag before showing a report on the poll held in Turkey in 2017.
After Muharrem İnce, a candidate in the Turkish presidential election, announced his withdrawal from the race three days before the voting day, news outlets and social media platforms disseminated a story claiming that his withdrawal would not change the appearance and order of the ballot paper by the Supreme Election Board. They further claimed that votes for İnce would be void and not included in the final count.
However, the Supreme Election Board of Turkey has clarified that votes given to Muharrem İnce will be counted, even though he has withdrawn from the electoral competition.
Furthermore, various accounts and pages shared a video claiming to feature Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slapping a child while he was at a polling center to vote in the presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14.
However, the Directorate of Communications of the Center for Combating Disinformation, which is associated with the Turkish presidency, clarified that Erdogan was joking with his grandchild during that time.
During the Turkish presidential elections, a video circulated on media outlets and social media platforms alleging electoral fraud, in which an individual was seen engaging in mass voting and electing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on eight ballot papers.
However, Misbar's investigation revealed that the details on the ballot papers matched those used in the presidential elections held on that day. The video was initially shared on Instagram by an account named "ahmet__arslan63" and was later found to be shared from the account "a.sezerardan."
Another account with a similar name was discovered. The newly created account had minimal activity, with only a story featuring a selected ballot paper with Recep Tayyip Erdogan and a few followers and accounts it follows.
False News Targets Refugees in Turkish Elections
In Misbar's articles titled "Can Kilicdaroglu Revoke the Turkish Citizenship of Syrians and Hand Them Over to the United States?" Misbar refuted statements made by presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu regarding the number of refugees in Turkey.
Kilicdaroglu claimed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan allowed 10 million refugees to enter illegally, but Misbar's investigation proved this statement to be false. Similarly, Umit Ozdag, the leader of the Turkish Nationalist Party, claimed that there are 13 million refugees in Turkey, which he blamed for the country's economic decline.
However, official figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees show that Turkey hosts approximately 3.7 million refugees. Among them, nearly 3.6 million are Syrians, and the remaining 320,000 come from various other nationalities.
Moreover, social media users claimed that the famous Turkish journalist ismet özçelik made statements to CNN Turkey, stating that he obtained exclusive information from conversations between presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and parliament member and leader of the Victory Party, Ümit Özdağ. According to the claimed information, Kılıçdaroğlu would revoke the Turkish citizenship of naturalized Syrians in Turkey and hand them over to the United States to be relocated from Turkey to the areas east of the Euphrates under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Misbar found that ismet özçelik stated during the interview on May 20 during the program "What's Happening?" that an unnamed official from the Republican People's Party (CHP), led by Kılıçdaroğlu, told him that the party's plan regarding Syrian refugees is to coordinate with the United States to deport them to new industrial areas to be established by the U.S. near the regions of Şanlıurfa, Hatay, Mardin, and the Kurdish-controlled areas under the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). According to his statement, they would not be returned to Syria, but he did not mention denaturalizing Syrian holding the Turkish citizenship.
Misinformation Spread After Erdogan’s Victory
Recently, accounts and pages on social media have been circulating a photo claiming to feature Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan prostrating after winning the Turkish presidential elections.
Misbar's investigation revealed the photo's claim to be misleading. The image is old and shows Erdogan's prayer performance at the Çamlıca Mosque in Istanbul on Friday, May 26, two days before the second round of elections.
Accounts and pages on social media have recently been circulating a video claiming to be of Egyptian journalist Ahmed Moussa predicting Erdogan's defeat in the second round of elections and accusing Erdogan's government of election fraud.
However, the video is old and dates back to June 2018, during the previous Turkish presidential elections.
Following the victory of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the 2023 election, social media users and media pages circulated a video purporting to show the celebration taking place inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard.
Misbar investigated the viral video and found the claim to be misleading. Through a reverse image search, Misbar's team discovered that the video is outdated and predates Recep Tayyip Erdogan's victory in the 2023 election.
Erdogan Claims Election Victory
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish President, has been declared the winner of the election by the Supreme Election Council of the country. After failing to secure more than 50 percent of the votes required for a clear victory in the first round on May 14, Erdogan emerged victorious in a closely contested run-off. With almost all votes counted, he secured 52.14 percent in the second round, defeating his opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who received 47.86 percent.
This electoral outcome solidifies Erdogan's position in history as he extends his rule for another five years, reaching a total of 20 years in power.
In a jubilant moment, Erdogan appeared outside his residence in Uskudar, Istanbul, where he entertained the enthusiastic crowd with a song before expressing his gratitude. He remarked, "We have successfully completed the second round of the presidential elections with the support of our citizens. With the trust you have placed in us over the past 21 years, we will continue to be deserving of that trust in the future."
Misbar’s Sources:
