Türkiye’s Cultural Diplomacy Practices to Build Long-lasting Relationships: The Cases of Yunus Emre Institute and Türkiye Scholarships
摘要
The relationship-building discourse of public diplomacy is one of its most important objectives. While short-term informational activities instantly influence the public opinion of foreign states to support our policies, there is a need for long-term and strategic practices that have the potential for success for years to come. Therefore, as Joseph Nye’s definition of soft power suggests, it is essential to strategically prioritize practices based on culture and values in public diplomacy practices. The patience and persistence in long-term communication activities to be carried out through cultural diplomacy practices will be more effective in laying the foundation for future years in building and maintaining the relations of states with foreign peoples. Cultural diplomacy is not just about introducing a cultural benefit to the target audience, it’s about sparking a transformation. Its aim is to engage the target audience with the ideas perceived in the way the producer wants to be represented (Fisher, A. (2009). Four seasons in one day. In N. Snow & P. M. Taylor (Eds.), Handbook of public diplomacy (pp. 251–261). Routledge.). The messages of cultural diplomacy to the target audience will not only pique their interest in that culture but also allow them to approach political messages from it positively in the future. Cultural relations is the best way to change negative and inaccurate stereotypes that have profound effects and are more credible than other forms of reputation management (Szondi, G. (2008). Public diplomacy and nation branding: Conceptual similarities and differences. Discussion Papers in Diplomacy. Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael.). Within the scope of the study, Türkiye’s tools for language teaching and education that it uses effectively in cultural diplomacy will be analyzed. In this direction, Türkiye Scholarships, a program that offers scholarships to international students, and Yunus Emre Institute’s activities, which include Turkish language courses and cultural events, will be analyzed using the qualitative case analysis method.