The proliferation of fake news and its impact on public perception have become increasingly concerning, particularly during major global events like the 2016 US Presidential election, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russia-Ukraine war. This study examines fake posts on Turkish social media concerning the Russia-Ukraine war, aiming to identify common themes and analyze the polarized discourses they create. The research question is: In the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, which discursive themes are shaped around fake social media posts circulated on Turkish social media? The study uses multimodal discourse analysis of 204 samples from four Turkish fact-checking platforms to investigate this question.

Existing literature explores various aspects of fake news, including its consumption, dissemination, and countermeasures. Scholars debate the definition of "fake news," some focusing on content veracity and others on the sender's intent. The impact of social media on fake news proliferation during conflicts is a key concern, particularly in polarized societies. Studies examining the Russia-Ukraine war on social media focus on political discourse, false images, information spread on platforms like TikTok, and the propaganda role of humor. Research in the Turkish context explores the war's impact on tourism, digital embargoes, digital diplomacy, and propaganda activities. However, a qualitative analysis focusing specifically on the themes within fake posts on Turkish social media during the Russia-Ukraine war is lacking.

This study employs Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA) to analyze 204 verified fake posts collected from four Turkish fact-checking platforms (Teyit.Org, Doğruluk Payı, Doğrula, and Malumatfuruş) between February 23, 2022, and June 10, 2023. The platforms were selected based on their active analysis of the war in Turkish, continuous interest, and timeliness. Three of the platforms are members of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). MCDA considers multiple semiotic codes (text, images, videos, hashtags) to uncover power relations and inequalities within the texts. The representational, compositional, and interactive metafunctions were used to analyze the meaning, structure, and interaction between sender and recipient. An iterative coding process with two coders was used to identify five main themes (war reporting, ideological misrepresentation, humor, hate speech, and conspiracy theories). Inter-coder reliability was measured using Krippendorff's Alpha (k ≈ 0.76). Inductive coding was employed, focusing on the unique characteristics of the data and the specific research objectives.

The analysis revealed five prominent themes within the fake posts: 1. **War Reporting:** Fake posts often presented manipulated images and videos out of context, creating misleading narratives. A recurring sub-theme was the narrative of Ukraine's isolation, suggesting abandonment by world powers. These posts combined disjointed contexts with visuals and baseless claims, often employing historical and cultural contexts to support their narratives. 2. **Ideological Misrepresentation:** Fake posts frequently used historical ideological representations and symbols, particularly those associated with Nazism, to portray either Ukraine or Russia negatively. These posts aimed to reinforce stereotypes and create a sense of us vs. them, fueling polarization. 3. **Humor:** The use of humor, often decontextualized and politically charged, blurred the seriousness of the war. This "humorous" content, which frequently included political trolling, was used to spread misinformation and distract from the realities of the conflict. 4. **Hate Speech:** Fake posts employed hate speech, particularly targeting Ukrainian President Zelensky, by portraying him negatively and associating him with LGBT+ issues or portraying him as a puppet of "foreign powers." This type of content aimed to damage Zelensky's reputation and legitimize animosity toward him and the LGBT+ community. 5. **Conspiracy Theories:** The fake posts included numerous conspiracy theories, often revolving around the notion that the war was staged by "foreign powers" or that it was not real. These narratives capitalized on existing conspiracy theories and integrated them with the Russia-Ukraine conflict, promoting distrust in official accounts and established media.

The findings demonstrate that fake posts on Turkish social media during the Russia-Ukraine war actively contributed to polarization through the use of distorted narratives and manipulative techniques. The five themes identified highlight how misinformation was strategically employed to reinforce pre-existing biases and deepen divisions within Turkish society. The combination of decontextualized visuals, emotionally charged language, and established conspiracy theories made these posts highly effective in shaping public perception. The study reveals that the Turkish social media landscape, characterized by existing polarization and a complex relationship with both Russia and Ukraine, provided fertile ground for the spread of such manipulative content.

This study offers valuable insights into the nature and impact of fake posts on Turkish social media during the Russia-Ukraine war. It demonstrates how multimodal discourse analysis can effectively reveal the underlying mechanisms of misinformation and polarization. The findings emphasize the need for increased media literacy efforts and the continued work of fact-checking organizations in combating the spread of deceptive content. Future research could explore the long-term effects of such misinformation on political attitudes and behaviors, as well as the development of more effective strategies for countering disinformation campaigns.

The study is limited to data from four specific fact-checking platforms in Turkey, potentially limiting the scope of the findings. The selection of platforms, while based on established criteria, could introduce some bias. Additionally, the study focuses on the textual and visual elements of the posts; future research could incorporate a broader analysis including audio and other modalities.