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Turkey Hires Social media Hacks

The ruling AKP party of Turkey has announced its plans to deploy a 6,000 member team in order to shape public opinion through social media.

The aim is to hire mostly young people to focus on Twitter, and Facebook, as well as Instagram and YouTube.

"We aim at developing a positive political language which we are teaching to our volunteers," said a senior party official responsible for organizing the campaign told the Wall Street Journal, adding that "...when the opposing camp spreads disinformation about the party, we correct them with valid information, always using positive language."

This effort comes after a rising wave of discontent saw extended clashes between demonstrators opposing PM Erdogan's moves away from the secular model adopted by Turkey in past decades. The protests sprung up mainly through the social media.

Other countries, like China and Vietnam, are also officially using such propaganda methods.