Digital drug markets on Telegram in Türkiye: a qualitative analysis of public channels

Background

Illicit drug markets increasingly rely on digital infrastructures like Telegram. While digital supply networks are globally recognized, their public communicative organization remains under-researched. We investigated how Turkish-language Telegram channels publicly organize trade-facilitating communication, negotiate trust, and manage risk, offering insights for public health.

Methods

We conducted an inductive qualitative content analysis of publicly accessible Turkish-language Telegram channels. Using local slang, we extracted 3,204 text messages from 10 channels over a one-week period (3-9 November 2025). Through non-participatory observation, messages were iteratively coded in MAXQDA to identify manifest discursive patterns, e-commerce scripts, and symbolic communication.

Results

The public layer was predominantly seller-led, serving to advertise products and redirect buyers privately. Sellers utilized e-commerce strategies (e.g., “campaigns”) and pseudo-medical jargon (“pharmacy quality”) to legitimize products. Substances were marketed using coded semiotics and emojis (e.g., for methamphetamine, for synthetic pills). Trust was negotiated through geographic delivery logistics (claiming “instant service” across cities) and informal digital policing via scammer warnings. Crucially, channels functioned as “mixed illicit contact zones”: drug communication coexisted with cyber-enabled financial fraud, weapons sales, and sexualized solicitation.

Conclusions

Telegram drug channels in Türkiye operate as mixed illicit contact zones rather than straightforwardly safer digital alternatives. Using familiar online shopping language makes purchasing drugs seem normal, but it traps users in risky online spaces where they can easily be scammed or exploited. Public health interventions must expand to address intertwined psychosocial and cyber vulnerabilities online.

Key messages

• Telegram drug channels operate as mixed illicit contact zones where drug sales overlap with fraud and sexual exploitation, creating layered digital risks for public health.

• Sellers make buying illegal drugs look like a regular online purchase by using sales tactics, clinical words, and emojis, highlighting a clear need for online health outreach and safety efforts.