Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran met with Zahir Uddin Swapon, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting of Bangladesh, in İstanbul on the margins of the International Strategic Communication Summit (STRATCOM Summit) 2026.
In a post on his NSosyal account regarding the meeting, Duran said:
"On the margins of the STRATCOM Summit 2026, we held a meeting with Zahir Uddin Swapon, Minister of Information and Broadcasting of Bangladesh.
During our meeting, we addressed opportunities for mutual cooperation in the fields of media and communication, the accurate informing of the public, and the strengthening of communication networks on a global scale.
Under the leadership of our President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we attach importance to enhancing our multidimensional communication cooperation with different regions and diversifying our joint efforts.
I believe that the friendly relations between Türkiye and Bangladesh will be further advanced through new and lasting cooperation in the field of communication."
Meanwhile, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Zahir Uddin Swapon of Bangladesh said that he was attending STRATCOM for the first time and described the atmosphere as highly impressive, noting, “It is both relevant and globally significant. At a time when strategic communication is more important than ever, it brings together policymakers, media leaders and communication experts.”
Referring to his remarks at the panel titled “A New Framework in the Global Order: A Strategic Communication Perspective,” Swapon noted that strategic communication is fundamentally about building public trust and highlighted that disinformation extends beyond the media, affecting governance, security and social stability.
Highlighting the importance of strong institutions, credibility and digital literacy, Swapon said, “Technology has made disinformation faster, cheaper, and more dangerous. In conflict settings, misleading narratives can incite violence and deepen mistrust.”
Swapon stressed that the challenge of disinformation presents obstacles for governments, media platforms and citizens alike, underscoring the need to safeguard both freedom of expression and truth simultaneously.
Pointing out the need for monitoring and response mechanisms to curb the spread of misinformation, Swapon called for closer cooperation among media outlets, fact-checking bodies and civil society organisations.
Noting that Bangladesh is working to strengthen its capacity in countering disinformation and is closely observing countries such as Türkiye in this process, Swapon stated:
“Türkiye has approached strategic communication as a matter of serious state capacity. It has linked communication with diplomacy, crisis management and national resilience. STRATCOM itself stands as a clear example of Turkish leadership in building an international platform in this field."
