Contemporary Issues with Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Social Science
Summary
Excerpt
Table Of Contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- About the author
- About the book
- This eBook can be cited
- Preface
- Contents
- List of Contributors
- Referees
- Russian Information Warfare: The Case of the White Helmets in Syria: İbrahim Karatas
- On “The Human” and Behavioral Economics: Sidre Gul Bige Gocekli and Necmiye Comertler
- Profitability of Turkish Manufacturing Firms: Efficiency or Market Power?: A. Elif Ay Yalcinkaya and Ramazan Ekinci
- The Relationship Between the Vertical Specialization of Exports and Employment: Burcu Hicyilmaz and Mesut Cakir
- Is Brexit a Transaction Cost Problem?: Yildirim Beyazit Cicen
- Clustering Approach as a Regional Development Tool and Turkish Automotive Sector Clustering Analysis: Mustafa Cem Kirankabes
- The Use of Spatial Models: Examples from Financial Market Applications: Sevgi Eda Tuzcu
- Measures Securing the Collection of Public Receivablesin Turkey: İsmail İsler
- Prioritizing the Problems Confronted by Independent Accountant and Financial Advisors with Best – Worst Method: Engin Cakir
- Culture of Innovation as A Management Function: Kezban Talak
- Weighting Cost Calculation Methods by Healthcare Employees Using the SWARA Method: Cagri Koroglu and Zeynep Aydin
- Current Developments in the Process of Adoption to the IFRS/IAS in Turkey: Mehmet Utku and Yusuf Kaya
- Entrepreneurial Marketing for a Competitive Advantage: Aslihan Yavuzalp Marangoz
- Transition to Multi-sensory Strategies: Sensory Branding: Zuhal Cilingir Uk and Gamze Kayan
- The Antecedents of Customer Loyalty: Nihat Tavsan and Cem Duran
- Do Research and Development Investments and Financial Development Promote Human Development? Empirical Evidence from Developing Countries: Mehmet Levent Erdas and Zeynep Ezanoglu
- Determination of R&D Efficiency Levels of OECD Countries in the Intermediate Innovative Countries Group: Busra Kutlu Karabiyik
- Examining the Relationships Between Emotional Labor Behaviour, Burnout and Work Alienation in the Marine Tourism Businesses: Murat Yorulmaz
- Employees’ Perception of Ethical Leadership: A Research on Tourism Establishments: Melda Akbaba
- A Comparative Analysis of the Health Care Financing Models in the Context of Financing Sources and Health Coverage: Covid-19 Experience: Gulizar Seda Yilmaz
- Environmental Benefits of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mehmet Metin Dam
- The Challenges of the Turkish Music-Entertainment Industry During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Serhat Karaoglan
- Analysis of Causality Relationships Among COVID-19 and Sector Returns: Evidence from Turkey: Yakup Soylemez
- The Effect of Covid-19 Pandemic on Solidarity Culture in Turkey: Asli Kose
List of Contributors
Melda Akbaba
Asst.Prof.Dr., Kilis 7 Aralık University, Kilis, Turkey, mharbalioglu@kilis.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-8701-017X
Zeynep Aydin
Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey, zynpayydin@gmail.com, 
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3358-0000
Engin Cakir
Asst.Prof.Dr., Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey, engincakir@adu.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5906-4178
Mesut Cakir
Asst.Prof.Dr., Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey, mcakir@adu.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4980-1047
Yildirim Beyazit Cicen
Asst.Prof.Dr., Gumushane University, Gumushane, Turkey, ybcicen@gumushane.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3425-280X
Zuhal Cilingir Uk
Asst.Prof.Dr., Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey, zuhal.cilingir@omu.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3271-7765
Necmiye Comertler
Prof.Dr., Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey, ncomertler@adu.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0370-843X
Mehmet Metin Dam
Asst.Prof.Dr., Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey, metindam@adu.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3980-7832
Cem Duran
Asst.Prof.Dr., Istinye University, Istanbul, Turkey, cduran@istinye.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-5171-0270
Ramazan Ekinci
Asst.Prof.Dr., Bakircay University, İzmir, Turkey, ramazan.ekinci@bakircay.edu.tr, ORCID-ID: 0000-0001-7420-9841
←11 | 12→Mehmet Levent Erdas
Asst.Prof.Dr., Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey, leventerdas@gmail.com, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6594-4262
Zeynep Ezanoglu
PhD student, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey, zeynepezanoglu@gmail.com, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4601-7567
Sidre Gul Bige Gocekli
Res.Asst., Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey, sgb.gocekli@adu.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5406-4304
Burcu Hicyilmaz
Res.Asst.Dr., Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey, burcu.yilmaz@adu.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3501-2012
İsmail İsler
Asst.Prof.Dr., Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey, iisler@pau.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9666-130X
Hatime Kamilcelebi
Asst. Prof. Dr., Kirklareli University, Kirklareli, Turkey, hatimekamilcelebi@klu.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1028-7135
Busra Kutlu Karabiyik
Res.Asst.Dr., Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey, busra.kutlu@adu.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6691-2921
Serhat Karaoglan
Res.Asst.Dr., Kirikkale University, Kirikkale, Turkey, serhat@karaoglan.net, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4120-4013
İbrahim Karatas
Dr., Istinye University, Istanbul, Turkey, ibratas@gmail.com, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2125-1840
Yusuf Kaya
Asst.Prof.Dr., Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey, ykaya@pau.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2076-9808
Gamze Kayan
Res.Asst., Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey, gamze.kayan@omu.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-8726-5551
←12 | 13→Mustafa Cem Kirankabes
Assoc.Prof.Dr., Balikesir University, Balikesir, Turkey, ckirankabes@balikesir.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0807-5897
Cagri Koroglu
Assoc.Prof.Dr., Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey, cagrikoroglu@hotmail.com, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4073-1847
Asli Kose
Asst.Prof.Dr., Gumushane University, Gumushane, Turkey, asl_kse@hotmail.com, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8044-6592
Aslihan Yavuzalp Marangoz
Asst. Prof.Dr., Toros University, Mersin, Turkey, aslihan.marangoz@toros.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5119-4330
Yakup Soylemez
Asst.Prof.Dr., Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey, yakup.soylemez@beun.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6185-3192
Kezban Talak
Dr., Istanbul Medeniyet University, Istanbul, Turkey, ktalak@gmail.com, ORCID ID:0000-0002-7837-5852
Nihat Tavsan
Dr., Piri Reis University, Istanbul, Turkey, antavsan@pirireis.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7085-0893
Sevgi Eda Tuzcu
Dr., Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey, stuzcu@politics.ankara.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-3658-2546
Mehmet Utku
Asst.Prof.Dr., Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey, mutku@pau.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-7076-6891
A. Elif Ay Yalcinkaya
Asst.Prof.Dr., Dokuz Eylul University, İzmir, Turkey, elif.ay@deu.edu.tr, ORCID-ID: 0000-0003-4417-2341
←13 | 14→Gulizar Seda Yilmaz
Res.Asst.Dr., Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey, seda.corak@adu.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2430-6808
Murat Yorulmaz
Asst.Prof.Dr., Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey, murat.yorulmaz@kocaeli.edu.tr, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5736-9146
Referees
DR. AHU YAZICI AYYILDIZ
DR. ALİ PETEK
DR. ARZU ORGAN
DR. ASLI YENİPAZARLI
DR. AYNUR UÇKAÇ
DR. AZİZ BOSTAN
DR. BURCU HİÇYILMAZ
DR. BÜLENT YILDIZ
DR. BÜŞRA KUTLU KARABIYIK
DR. ÇAĞRI KÖROĞLU
DR. DİLEK ELVAN ÇOKİŞLER
DR. E.YASEMİN BOZDAĞLIOĞLU
DR. ECE AKSU ARMAĞAN
DR. ENGİN ÇAKIR
DR. ESİN SAYIN
DR. ESMA DURUKAL
DR. FATMA ÇAKIR
DR. FERİŞTAH SÖNMEZ
DR. FUNDA ÇONDUR
DR. GÖKHAN AKEL
DR. GÖNÜL TEZCAN
DR. GÜLİZAR SEDA YILMAZ
DR. GÜLŞAH SEZEN AKAR
DR. HATİCE EROL
DR. HÜSEYİN ŞENKAYAS
DR. İSMAİL İŞLER
DR. İSMET ATEŞ
DR. KIYMET YAVUZASLAN
DR. MEHMET BÖLÜKBAŞ
DR. MEHMET METİN DAM
DR. NECMİYE CÖMERTLER
DR. OSMAN PEKER
DR. SADULLAH ÇELİK
DR. SEDAT ALATAŞ
DR. SEMA OĞLAK
DR. SERCAN YAVAN
DR. ŞABAN ERTEKİN
DR. ŞANSEL ÖZPINAR
DR. TARIK ILİMAN
DR. TUĞBA AKIN
DR. UMUT EVLİMOĞLU
DR. UMUT TOLGA GÜMÜŞ
İbrahim Karatas
Russian Information Warfare: The Case of the White Helmets in Syria
Abstract Syria’s opposition civil-defense network, namely the White Helmets, has been under the military and information warfare of Russia since the Russian army began to fight alongside the Syrian regime against rebel groups in September 2015. Designating the organization as a terrorist group, Russians attacked the White Helmets’ operation centers and simultaneously waged an information war to smear the organization and perpetuate confusion among the world audience. This study has analyzed Russian media, affiliated news outlets, social media, pro-Russian reports disseminating Russian claims, the White Helmets’ reports and concerning news in the Western media. It also made interviews with top officials of the organization to check the accuracy of Russian accusations. After comparing allegations of both sides, it has concluded that there is massive Russian information warfare on the White Helmets that testifies Russian and the regime crimes on the frontline. The research has also contended that Russian black propaganda has become successful. As a side finding, this study has revealed which tactics the Russian propaganda machine uses during the discrediting campaigns. Methodologically, both quantitative and qualitative researches were used.
Keywords: Information Warfare, Russia, Syria, White Helmets, Security
1Introduction
The White Helmets (officially the Syrian Civil Defence) has been rescuing victims of the war from rubbles in mainly opposition-held areas of Syria since its establishment in 2013. Consisting of former engineers, bakers, tailors, students, shopkeepers, and people with many other professions, the humanitarian organization with over 3.000 volunteers has saved more than 100.000 lives as of January 2020. The White Helmets are funded, trained and supported by foreign governments particularly the US, the UK, Canada, European countries and some Arab states. They have a so dangerous job that some of the group members lost their lives or got injured while rescuing civilians in war-torn regions that were under continuous bombardment. According to the organization’s website, 252 volunteers have been killed and a double of that number was injured (The White Helmets, 2019). Besides deaths emanating from the ongoing Russian and Syrian regime bombardments, they have been ←19 | 20→the private target of jet fighters due to their humanitarian activities and being the witnesses of war crimes. Thus, their buildings, cars and medical centers have been under deliberate attacks of artillery bombardment, missiles or barrel bombs. However, their efforts went viral thanks to Western media, which culminated in a nomination for Nobel Prize. Besides, a documentary film named ‘The White Helmets’ streamed at Netflix won ‘the Best Documentary’ at the 89th Academy Awards.
The White Helmets are now sandwiched between asymmetric warfare and information warfare conducted by Russia. The humanitarian aid group had been operating in areas out of the Syrian regime’s control since the civil war erupted. Its efforts got praise from the world governments and audience but things changed when Russia directly got involved in the civil war on the side of the Assad regime. As soon as Russian jets dropped the first bomb on opposition groups on September 30, 2015, Russian media outlets launched a massive anti-White Helmets campaign simultaneously (The Syria Campaign, 2017: 8). Since then, the White Helmets have been hit by bombs and the black propaganda of Russian information warriors. The White Helmets operates in fatal conditions to minimize the number of deaths. Yet, while the group and its volunteers could escape from bombardments, they could not save themselves from the virtual warfare perpetrated by pro-Russian individuals. This study investigates how a humanitarian aid association can be discredited through internet blogs, social media, trolls, and classic media though it saves lives in the combat. To reveal the truth about the White Helmets and the reliability of Russian claims that are regarded as false propaganda by the Western media, accusations of pro-Russian groups and responses of the White Helmets have been analyzed for this study. By this way, this study intends to unveil; (1) how Russian information warfare is influential alongside the real war, (2) how perceptions can be changed negatively even against well-intentioned activities, and (3) why and how information warfare is complementary to ordinary warfare. This research contends from analyzes that Russia uses information as a weapon because Russians want to; (1) create doubt and confusion in the minds of foreign public, (2) do not want to witnesses on the ground that uncover their war crimes, (3) legitimize its attacks and whitewash the Assad regime, and (4) eliminate the White Helmets. In addition, it will also try to reveal how Russian propaganda works by analyzing their methods. In other words, this study plans to unveil Russian information warfare through analyzing its attacks on the White Helmets. The article expects to contribute to the theoretical literature of information warfare, particularly that of Russia.
←20 | 21→Methodologically, pro-Russian media disseminating Russian claims, counter reports and allegations of the White Helmets and concerning news in the Western media that aim to disprove Russian evidence have been examined and compared with each other. Further to documentary analysis, telephone and face-to-face interviews were made with the group leader Raed Saleh and some other officials of the organization. No people from Russian and the Syrian regime side could be accessed. While a section was dedicated to Russian information warfare, the White Helmets group is briefly explained in Introduction (see above) due to space problem.
The White Helmets (officially the Syrian Civil Defence) has been rescuing victims of the war from rubbles in mainly opposition-held areas of Syria since its establishment in 2013. Consisting of former engineers, bakers, tailors, students, shopkeepers, and people with many other professions, the humanitarian organization with over 3.000 volunteers has saved more than 100.000 lives as of January 2020. The White Helmets are funded, trained and supported by foreign governments particularly the US, the UK, Canada, European countries and some Arab states. They have a so dangerous job that some of the group members lost their lives or got injured while rescuing civilians in war-torn regions that were under continuous bombardment. According to the organization’s website, 252 volunteers have been killed and a double of that number was injured (The White Helmets, 2019). Besides deaths emanating from the ongoing Russian and Syrian regime bombardments, they have been the private target of jet fighters due to their humanitarian activities and being the witnesses of war crimes. Thus, their buildings, cars and medical centers have been under deliberate attacks of artillery bombardment, missiles or barrel bombs. However, their efforts went viral thanks to Western media, which culminated in a nomination for Nobel Prize. Besides, a documentary film named ‘The White Helmets’ streamed at Netflix won ‘the Best Documentary’ at the 89th Academy Awards.
The White Helmets are now sandwiched between asymmetric warfare and information warfare conducted by Russia. The humanitarian aid group had been operating in areas out of the Syrian regime’s control since the civil war erupted. Its efforts got praise from the world governments and audience but things changed when Russia directly got involved in the civil war on the side of the Assad regime. As soon as Russian jets dropped the first bomb on opposition groups on September 30, 2015, Russian media outlets launched a massive anti-White Helmets campaign simultaneously (The Syria Campaign, 2017: 8). Since then, the White Helmets have been hit by bombs and the black propaganda of Russian information warriors. The White Helmets operates in fatal conditions ←21 | 22→to minimize the number of deaths. Yet, while the group and its volunteers could escape from bombardments, they could not save themselves from the virtual warfare perpetrated by pro-Russian individuals. This study investigates how a humanitarian aid association can be discredited through internet blogs, social media, trolls, and classic media though it saves lives in the combat. To reveal the truth about the White Helmets and the reliability of Russian claims that are regarded as false propaganda by the Western media, accusations of pro-Russian groups and responses of the White Helmets have been analyzed for this study. By this way, this study intends to unveil; (1) how Russian information warfare is influential alongside the real war, (2) how perceptions can be changed negatively even against well-intentioned activities, and (3) why and how information warfare is complementary to ordinary warfare. This research contends from analyzes that Russia uses information as a weapon because Russians want to; (1) create doubt and confusion in the minds of foreign public, (2) do not want to witnesses on the ground that uncover their war crimes, (3) legitimize its attacks and whitewash the Assad regime, and (4) eliminate the White Helmets. In addition, it will also try to reveal how Russian propaganda works by analyzing their methods. In other words, this study plans to unveil Russian information warfare through analyzing its attacks on the White Helmets. The article expects to contribute to the theoretical literature of information warfare, particularly that of Russia.
Details
- Pages
- 342
- Publication Year
- 2021
- ISBN (PDF)
- 9783631848432
- ISBN (ePUB)
- 9783631848449
- ISBN (MOBI)
- 9783631848456
- ISBN (Softcover)
- 9783631815939
- DOI
- 10.3726/b18093
- Language
- English
- Publication date
- 2021 (March)
- Published
- Berlin, Bern, Bruxelles, New York, Oxford, Warszawa, Wien, 2021. 342 pp., 19 fig. b/w, 53 tables.
- Product Safety
- Peter Lang Group AG
