Institute for International Political Studies

Media coverage of the recent elections in Türkiye, especially in the first round, has proven the profound distortion of image and misperception in some Western circles. Although a biased reading of the events, which pivots mainly on ideological connotations, aimed at influencing the outcome of the vote, it resulted in mere wishful thinking. The role of the media in influencing communication through the framing of the agenda has empirical evidence; however, in the case of Türkiye, a cognitive gap has opened up between expectations and reality, which lies on a non-objective and sometimes emotional interpretation of the facts. The electoral results, by denying once again any superficial prediction and manipulation attempt, must be read as a lesson on how to look at Türkiye, its government, and its people and therefore generate more accurate and genuine information.

The article is based on an interview conducted with Professor Donatella della Porta, one of the most important contemporary scholars of social movements and political participation. The interview traces the evolution of social movements during globalization, in particular from the arrival on the international scene of the Global Justice Movement, up to touching the most current issues relating to the crises that contemporary society is currently experiencing such as ecological, sanitary and democracy crisis. Environmental movements are examined, such as Fridays for Future, but also antiracial protests as Black Lives Matter and the new wave of protest in the Global South around democratization. It was then decided to focus attention on activism in critical junctures such as that which emerged during the pandemic and the current Ukrainian war. The interview provides an interesting insight and the role played by civil society and social movements into current global dynamics.