Environmental Diplomacy of Rescue Dogs and Domestic Animals during the 2023 Earthquake in Eastern Turkey for Wellbeing

Fazila Derya Agis, University of the People

This paper aims at analyzing the discourse of the social media posts by individuals about rescue dogs, domestic animals, and by rescue dog and domestic animal service providers and associations that served during the 2023 earthquake in Eastern Turkey where the cities of Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep, Hatay, Adana, Osmaniye, Malatya, Kilis, Adiyaman, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, and Elazig were damaged. These are the following service providers and associations: American Humane, the Turkish Meyako Rescue (Melekler Yasam Köyü Dernegi) [Association of Life Village of Angels], and L’Organizzazione internazionale protezione animali (OIPA) [International Organization for Animal Protection]. Ecolinguistic analyses of their social media posts will be conducted to find out the duties of pets and rescue dogs as well-being providers and their role in diplomatic relations. Arran Stibbe's (2015 and 2021) ecolinguistic theory will be used for political and diplomatic discourse analyses. Mainly, the following metaphors are discovered: “DOGS ARE FRIENDS, THERAPISTS, and RESCUERS” as well as “PETS ARE HEALTH.”

See extended abstract

 Presented in Session 76. The State and Disaster