YouTube as an Affective Infrastructure in the Transnationalisation of Anatolian Rock

Transnationality has recently become a central analytical lens for inquiries into how cultural elements circulate and acquire meaning beyond national boundaries. In recent years, Anatolian rock has emerged as a compelling case for understanding how genres circulate and gather new publics across borders. Accordingly, this study analyses English-language comments on the Anatolian Rock Revival Project YouTube channel to examine the transnational flow of this music genre. We argue that YouTube operates as an affective infrastructure that facilitates cross-cultural encounters, enabling the rearticulation of the Anatolian rock genre. Through their comments, users demonstrate their attachment to this genre in three distinct ways: (i) by framing YouTube as a platform for affective encounters with this music, (ii) by treating the comment section as a symbolic arena that celebrates the wide geographical spread of its listeners, and (iii) by endowing Anatolian rock with renewed affective meaning.