Chief Advisor to the President on Foreign Policy and Security, Akif Çağatay Kılıç, participated as a speaker in the panel titled "Strategic Communication in the Age of Uncertainty: Crises and New Balances" at the International Strategic Communication Summit (STRATCOM), held under the theme "Disruption in the International System: Crises, Narratives and the Search for Order."
Kılıç began his speech by congratulating Head of Communications Duran for organising the summit and responded to the panel moderator's question, "Is there more conflict today, or are we more connected?" by citing global communication issues.
Kılıç noted that historically there have always been countries experiencing more conflict, stating, "Are we currently more connected to global events than before? Yes, indeed. While talking among ourselves, at work, or during meals in our private lives, we are always using a means of communication. Perhaps it is because we are under an information bombardment. There is an enormous flow of information towards us through communication channels. Also, we are making a great effort to understand them. The issue of whether the information is true or false causes us to expend a lot of energy. These days, strategic communication requires a lot of energy."
Emphasising the importance of who provides the information first, Kılıç said:
Who puts news into circulation is highly significant. Here, we also need to talk about capacity. Socio-economic, military, diplomatic powers. These powers are very important in conveying the narrative. It's not just what you hear, but how and from whom you hear it. You need to be both first and reliable. We are presently in an era marked by great uncertainty. This is one of the biggest challenges we face. We are currently dealing with a substantial problem, and over the course of six to seven days, more events unfold. Sometimes a problem arises in a completely different part of the world. The problems we experience are growing and diversifying. After the war in Ukraine, four years ago, we started talking about the genocide in Gaza. Now we are talking about another conflict, a war in Iran."
Kılıç explained that the three military conflicts mentioned in one sentence are taking place in a geography in close proximity to Türkiye and Europe, saying, "Some are resolved diplomatically, some continue through war, military means. You look at East Asia, Latin America, in all these regions a conflict continues simultaneously and everyone is concerned with the danger that is much closer. Because as humans, we all have an instinctive need for external security. The focus of your attention is on the conflict in your immediate environment in order to prevent it from affecting you."
"In strategic communication, employing easily understandable and plain language is of critical importance"
Akif Çağatay Kılıç went on to say:
“The recent conflict in Iran, driven by the intervention of the United States and Israel, is expected to have repercussions on a global scale. It is likely to raise energy concerns, adversely affect food security and mobility, and may result in unprecedented disruptions to transportation worldwide. Once considered the least costly element of trade, transportation has now emerged as the most expensive. This represents a pivotal shift, as the post–Second World War order we have long been accustomed to is coming under strain and is being progressively destabilised. In strategic communication, employing easily understandable and plain language is of critical importance."
Highlighting that the current era is defined by social media, Kılıç noted, "Even brief statements can carry significant weight, given that misleading content is more readily disseminated and gains credibility. This places us in an era of great uncertainty. This is the reality we face. New dynamics are constantly evolving, so adaptation is essential. We are going through interesting times. The historical events of the past six to eight decades are being experienced recurrently.”
Kılıç noted that he attended the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) meeting in Hungary yesterday, stating, "Alongside all these developments, collaborations persist, and friendships at the international level endure. The United Nations, unfortunately, does not enjoy a positive perception currently, whereas NATO faces its own set of obstacles. Therefore, we need to adapt to these circumstances, strike new balances, and formulate specific solutions to specific problems."
Pointing out that each region has its own regional realities and that people, by their nature, are more attentive to events in their own region, Kılıç said, "Following the Second World War, humanity claimed to have drawn lessons from the wars and conflicts it had experienced. We believed that humanity had gained awareness of its past mistakes and that preventing their recurrence would constitute a solution. The key issue was the distribution of economic wealth. The system’s flaw was that it could provide these benefits only if it could reach the people.”
Yeni Şafak International News Director Ömer Kablan moderated the ‘Strategic Communication in the Age of Uncertainty: Crises and New Balances’ panel, which featured Prof. Mehmet Emin Babacan, Dean of the Faculty of Communication at Marmara University; Nordin Abdullah, Founder of the Malaysia Crisis Management Centre; and Dr Nancy Okail, President and CEO of the Centre for International Policy, as speakers.