The Dynamics of Religious Disinformation Spreading on Digital Media in Türkiye

This research aims to examine the dynamics of religious disinformation circulating on digital platforms in Türkiye, generate insights into this field, and raise social awareness. Within the scope of the research, 175 pieces of content verified as disinformation under the “religion and beliefs” category by the Teyit platform, which conducts fact-checking activities in Türkiye, between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2024, were analyzed using content analysis methods via the MAXQDA 24 program. The findings show that 42.9% (n=75) of religious disinformation was in video/audio format, while 42.29% (n=74) was created through false caonnection. It was found that the vast majority of religious disinformation circulated on social media platforms, with 41.7% (n=73) concentrated on the X platform. Furthermore, 35.43% (n=62) of the disinformation was found to be related to political issues. Finally, it was determined that 22.29% (n=39) of religious disinformation produced in digital media for various motivations targeted religious sentiments and sensitivities, 16% (n=28) targeted political actors/parties, and 14.29% (n=25) targeted religious authorities and clergy. The results reveal that religious disinformation is shaped at the intersection of platform logic, content format, and manipulative production techniques, and that its religious sentiment-centered narrative is supported by political and religious representations, giving it a multi-layered structure.