Nation branding and right to brand/brand Turkey

Abstract

This article investigates the public right to nation branding in Turkey, as this process has been carried out predominantly by the AKP (Justice and Development Party) government with minimal civil society and public involvement. Owing to its centrality to ‘Brand Turkey’ as a financial and tourism capital, Istanbul is one of the most significant city brands in formulating Brand Turkey. The 2013 Gezi Park protests in Istanbul introduced a new dynamic to nation branding practices in Turkey through re-appropriating meanings to widely utilized nation brand images. During the protests nation branding also became discursive assets for political leaders who presented Turkey’s brand image as the ‘common good’. The protests then became symbolic of the laicist fractions’ efforts to defend their lifestyle by reclaiming the symbolism used in Istanbul’s city brand. In order to examine the significance of the protests in the public right to nation branding, I employ a discourse analytic approach and deconstruct the projects carried out by the AKP government to brand Istanbul. Then I investigate the public discourse surrounding the Gezi Park protests while illustrating how the protests have deviated from the AKP’s efforts while employing similar visual representations.