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Copyright of Selcuk University Social Sciences Institute Journal is the property of Selcuk University Social Sciences Institute Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The social media accounts of 2023 presidential candidates Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Sinan Oğan, 889 Instagram and 1635 X posts on were examined in this study. Pre, inter and post-election analysis periods were conducted using Natural Language Processing techniques to process the posts. Erdoğan, unlike other candidates, maintained a consistent number of devoted and possessive followers. During the election periods, the candidates participating in the election, and in the post-election period, Erdoğan who won the election, maintained their social media presence. The candidates utilized Instagram for election propaganda and X for disseminating messages related to everyday politics and other topics. Despite more followers on X, the Instagram engagement numbers/rates were higher. Erdoğan had more followers in both platforms and all periods but Kılıçdaroğlu had higher engagement rates. The study suggests engagements alone cannot predict election outcomes; while likes can indicate support, comments may not always be entirely positive. It was observed that different elements were emphasized by the candidates in the posts during the election periods. In the campaigns, Erdoğan aimed to motivate and unite voters, while Kılıçdaroğlu wanted to generate excitement and energy in the first and stressed the importance of voting in the second period. Oğan, who competed only in the first-round of the election, emphasized the significance of a vote in the first period to bring about change, while emphasizing nationalist discourses in the second and third periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]