Turkey’s World Cup Video Features Erdogan, Drones, and Missiles Instead of Football
Turkey's national football team lost its World Cup opener 2-0 to Australia on Saturday, but the match itself isn't what has people talking. A promotional video posted to the Turkish Football Federation's official social media accounts has sparked a fierce backlash, and it has almost nothing to do with football.
The video, produced by order of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was created by the AK Party's communications and media office. Set to a march titled "You Are All Us, Turkey," it splices footage of players and fans with repeated shots of Erdogan himself, military ceremonies, combat drones, fighter jets, missiles, warships, and the Turkish electric car Togg.
The federation framed it as a message of "unity and togetherness" for the team's World Cup journey.
Critics inside Turkey and abroad have pointed out that a national team hype video turned into what many are calling straight-up government propaganda. The federation framed it as a message of "unity and togetherness" for the team's World Cup journey.
Turkey still has a realistic path through the group stage despite the opening loss. Their squad is considered one of the deeper rosters in the tournament, but the political blowback over the video has largely overshadowed any football conversation heading into their next fixture.
The AK Party's direct involvement in producing the federation's official content has drawn particular attention, with opposition figures and commentators questioning why a ruling party's media arm is creating material for a national sports body.
