ABD Medyasında Bayraktar TB2 Silahlı İnsansız Hava Aracı Hakkında Yayımlanan Haberlerin Kamu Diplomasisi Bağlamında İncelenmesi

One of the target audiences in public diplomacy is the media, which is both a significant instrument and component in the development of public opinion and an active actor. States intend to have a positive impact on the international community by taking part in global news networks as part of public diplomacy. In this context, governments seek to instil favourable impressions of their country in the minds of foreign societies by reaching out to them through international media and implementing informative initiatives promoting the country. Because the way a country is perceived and expressed in the international media affects the international community's approach to that country and its policies (Ekşi, 2014, p. 115). In other words, it is possible to establish a positive perception in the target public by sending messages through international media (Erzen, 2014, p. 54)Printed media outlets that publish abroad reach millions of readers worldwide through web-based publications. Opinion leaders now closely watch articles and comments in printed media, which have garnered many more readers through the Internet. The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Le Monde, Financial Times, and The Washington Post are the world's most widely read newspapers (Yıldırım, 2015, p. 178). This research investigates the context of US-based media coverage of the Bayraktar TB2 Armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System, which is manufactured in Türkiye using domestic and national resources. For the purpose of this research, the keyword “armed drones” was searched online in the US media outlets between July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021. This search revealed that Bayraktar TB2 armed unmanned aerial vehicles were covered in The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, as well as in the digital editions of Forbes and Foreign Affairs magazines. As a result, the research was limited to these news items. These published news items were subjected to descriptive analysis and were analysed from the perspective of public diplomacy. Armed unmanned aerial vehicles produced in Türkiye have strategic military, political and economic consequences in both Türkiye-US relations and wider international relations. Analysing these consequences by defining the circumstances in which they are reported by international media organizations based in the United States is both inspiring and essential for the planning of Türkiye's public diplomacy efforts toward the international community. The analysis revealed five common themes. These include the game-changing roles of TB2 armed drones in affecting the outcome, their superiority over air defence systems, the creation of a new war concept, low cost manufacture and finally an export potential based on competitive advantages.