This study examines the critical role of Twitter (X) in crisis communication during the earthquake that struck Türkiye on 6 February 2023, focusing on how two prominent influencers, Haluk Levent and Oğuzhan Uğur, effectively utilized the platform in response to the disaster. Analysis of highly retweeted posts and engagement rates for tweets collected using related keywords—“ahbap,” “babalatv,” “haluklevent,” and “oguzhanugur”—reveals how Twitter served not only for functions such as sharing locations for rescue operations, information dissemination, organization, and fundraising but also for defense against attacks and criticism of the government. Furthermore, Twitter emerged as a digital battleground where power struggles unfolded between the state and activist influencers. This study addresses this oversight by examining how Twitter functions not merely as a tool for communication and aid coordination but also as an arena of political contestation, filling a critical gap in understanding the role of social media. It underscores the critical need to consider the underlying political dynamics that social media interactions bring to the forefront during emergencies.

中文翻译：

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数字战场：社交媒体、国家权力和影响者在土耳其地震应对中的相互作用


本研究探讨了 Twitter (X) 在 2023 年 2 月 6 日土耳其地震期间的危机沟通中的关键作用，重点关注两位著名影响者 Haluk Levent 和 Oğuzhan Uğur 如何有效利用该平台应对灾难。对使用相关关键词（“ahbap”、“babalatv”、“haluklevent”和“oguzhanugur”）收集的推文的高度转发帖子和参与率进行分析，揭示了 Twitter 不仅具有共享救援行动位置、信息传播等功能、组织和筹款，也用于防御对政府的攻击和批评。此外，推特成为一个数字战场，国家和激进影响者之间展开了权力斗争。这项研究通过研究 Twitter 如何发挥作用，不仅作为沟通和援助协调的工具，而且作为政治竞争的舞台，填补了理解社交媒体作用的关键空白，从而解决了这一疏忽。它强调迫切需要考虑社交媒体互动在紧急情况下带来的潜在政治动态。