The Presidency’s Head of Communications, Burhanettin Duran, attended the launch of the ''United in a Shared Future Communication Campaign'', held at the Directorate of Communications with the participation of the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (GNAT), Numan Kurtulmuş.
Head of Communications Duran said one of the most important factors shaping a country's future is its society's determination to unite around a shared vision for the future.
Noting that a shared future required not only preserving the values inherited from the past but also assuming collective responsibility for the kind of country to be left to future generations, Head of Communications Duran emphasised that living together despite differences meant respecting everyone's rights and contributing to building a shared future.
Head of Communications Duran stated that, as the Directorate of Communications, they had launched a communication campaign under the theme ''United in a Shared Future'', expressing his hope that the project would make a meaningful contribution to the process of national solidarity and brotherhood.
Head of Communications Duran said that they stood at a historic threshold today, noting that the ideal of a ''Terror-Free Türkiye'' and a ''Terror-Free Region'' had quickly evolved into a comprehensive goal for the country’s future, under the strong leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and following the call by MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli.
"Our social harmony will be our greatest strength in the face of external developments"
Head of Communications Duran noted that the Turkish Grand National Assembly was addressing the issue of terrorism, for which the people had paid a heavy price over many years, in line with the interests of the nation and within a legal framework.
Head of Communications Duran went on to say:
"Today, people are asking us what the Terror-Free Türkiye process is. I must emphasise that this is, first and foremost, an invaluable opportunity for our country. It is a new window of opportunity for everyday life, economic development, tourism, education and a prosperous future. Investment in the region will increase, new areas will flourish, from energy to tourism, and production and, naturally, employment will grow accordingly. I believe, more importantly, that we will now remove terrorism from our agenda and will no longer leave future generations a legacy of further “pain and loss”.
However, I would particularly like to emphasise that ending terrorism is, of course, a major objective and achievement in itself. Yet this is not the entirety of our vision for the future. What truly matters is how Türkiye, once free from the shadow of terrorism, will utilise the opportunities at its disposal, strengthen its social bonds, and shape the country it leaves to future generations. I am referring to a future in which security gives way to lasting peace, lasting peace to social cohesion, and social cohesion to shared prosperity and development."
Head of Communications Duran noted that they are living through a period in which changing regional and global conditions require an intense focus on foreign policy and said, “We do not want to sacrifice any more of our human resources, energy and means to the sinister projects of divisive mindsets.” We now want to focus our efforts on production and prosperity. As regional crises increase, the “fortification of the home front”, as emphasised by our President, is indispensable to this shared future. Our social peace will certainly be our greatest source of resilience in the face of external developments."
"Our shared past will not be a shackle, but the compass of our shared future"
Head of Communications Duran noted that this historic objective gaining recognition in the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye was also particularly important from a democratic perspective.
Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran expressed great satisfaction that the process, which draws its social foundations from Parliament, had been conducted without undermining public authority and with due regard for the sensitivities of the nation, and stated that the enactment, with the approval of 467 MPs, of the Bill on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Cohesion, drafted through the coming together of different political views and adopted by the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (GNAT), was the clearest indication that the process had also been embraced by the nation.
Noting that Türkiye had suffered major losses due to terrorism for more than 40 years, Head of Communications Duran stressed that the martyrs, veterans, and those who defended this homeland at the cost of their lives would remain heroes forever.
Drawing attention to the fact that they had lived on these lands for more than 1,000 years, Head of Communications Duran stated:
"However, the history of the hostility fuelled by the distortion of concepts such as ethnic identity, religious community, and local power is only a little over a century old. In this process, which dates back to the period before the First World War, they sought to turn communities that had lived side by side for thousands of years, each with their own places of worship, languages and cultures, against one another through imperialist interventions. These imperialist efforts left our region with proxy mechanisms, fragile political structures, and the problem of terrorism. We are now freeing ourselves from these shackles. We know that we have different experiences, sensitivities, and expectations. What matters is not to let these differences stand in the way of our shared future, but to accept them as a reality of our social life and strengthen the common ground on which we can listen to one another. Our future unity will thwart the scenarios of disintegration and fragmentation that the imperialists have been devising for over a century. Our shared past will not be a shackle, but the compass of our shared future.”
“Our wish is for children to grow up without fear of terrorism”
Head of Communications Duran stressed that eliminating terrorism permanently would allow Türkiye to use its energy and resources more effectively.
Stating that, under President Erdoğan’s leadership and political resolve, they must always steer Türkiye along the path of stability, peace and development, Head of Communications Duran said, “Undoubtedly, the gains Türkiye will achieve in pursuit of this historic goal are not confined to our own borders. We are pursuing our goal of a Terror-Free Türkiye in tandem with the vision of a terror-free region, and we regard the strengthening of our brotherhood as an achievement that will contribute to peace throughout our region."
Recalling President Erdoğan’s statement that "Our immediate neighbourhood, particularly Syria and Iraq, will attain the climate of peace and stability it has long yearned for," Head of Communications Duran continued:
"Türkiye’s aspiration is to see children grow up without the fear of terrorism. What we hope for, from the bottom of our hearts, is for our ancient cities, once among the world’s most important capitals but reduced to rubble by wars and occupations, to once again become 'safe havens' and reclaim their place as centres of trade, knowledge, art and culture. Needless to say, achieving such a comprehensive and historic goal requires a careful, resolute and responsible approach. There are circles that are disturbed by the strengthening of social cohesion and security. They will seek to undermine this process. However, as a nation, we must remain vigilant against such attempts. While the disarmament process is being carried out within the framework established by our Parliament, we remain on high alert against provocations in this area.
Likewise, we are extremely mindful of those seeking to exploit the sensitivities of the families of our martyrs, our veterans and citizens affected by terrorism, turning them into a 'soft spot'. At this point, I would particularly like to emphasise that we regard the concerns of the families of our martyrs, our veterans and citizens affected by terrorism not merely as social sensitivities that must be protected, but also as legitimate expectations that must be heard and taken into account."
"We must remain vigilant against disinformation from unknown sources"
Head of Communications Duran stressed that the success of the Terror-Free Türkiye initiative was closely linked to understanding the concerns and expectations of different segments of society. He underlined that they would not allow this process, which was being conducted with due care and consideration for society’s expectations of security and justice, to be inflamed by provocative information.
Emphasising that the Directorate of Communications had taken the necessary measures against potential threats, particularly across conventional and new media platforms, Head of Communications Duran said, "We must remain vigilant against disinformation from unknown sources. This is a requirement of our bond of brotherhood."
Noting that one of the primary objectives of the communication mobilisation launched under the theme "United in a Shared Future" is to ensure an accurate understanding of this process, and that the mobilisation is not merely an informational activity, Head of Communications Duran said, "It is a comprehensive social communication process that listens to the expectations, concerns, and proposals of different segments of society, and provides an opportunity to discuss our shared values and future goals together."
Head of Communications Duran said that, within this framework, the communication mobilisation has three fundamental functions: the first is to explain the process with accurate information and ensure public access to factual information; the second is to listen to different segments of society and understand their expectations, concerns, and proposals; and the third is to contribute to the development of a shared vision for the future among different social segments.
Announcing that they will organise workshops titled "United in a Shared Future" in the coming days through the 17 regional directorates of the the Directorate of Communications, Head of Communications Duran concluded his remarks as follows:
"These workshops will bring together representatives from diverse segments of society, academics, experts, and non-governmental organisations. In addition, we will cooperate with our universities to ensure that our young people also contribute to the process. For our youth are not only the owners of the future but also key actors in social transformation. Listening to their expectations, ideas, and visions for the future is essential for building our shared future on stronger foundations. Our goal is to, inshallah, establish a productive platform for consultation for voicing expectations and opinions and raising questions and objections. Our nation’s collective will, historical background, and expectations for the future place significant responsibilities upon us all in pursuit of our goal of fraternity. We desire and we strive for the Century of Türkiye to usher in a century of peace, stability and prosperity for the entire region."
During the programme, which was attended by Numan Kurtulmuş, the Speaker of the GNAT, a video prepared for the "United in a Shared Future Communication Campaign" was also screened.
Meanwhile, Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran shared a post on his NSosyal account regarding the launch event of the "United in a Shared Future" Communications Campaign.
In his post, Head of Communications Duran stated:
At the launch event of the "United in a Shared Future" Communications Campaign organised by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, we discussed our nation's thousand-year-old bonds of brotherhood, our shared future and the goal of a "Terror-Free Türkiye".
The vision of a "Terror-Free Türkiye" and a "Terror-Free Region" has, under the strong leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and following the call made by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, rapidly evolved into a comprehensive goal for the future of our country. Subsequently, our Grand National Assembly addressed the issue of terrorism, which has exacted a heavy toll on our people over many years, in line with our nation's interests and within a legal framework.
A "Terror-Free Türkiye" represents a significant opportunity not only for security but also for production, investment, employment, development and prosperity. Our greatest achievement will be to ensure that we do not leave the pain and losses caused by terrorism as a legacy for future generations.
The "strengthening of the domestic front", as underscored by our President, is indispensable to our social peace and shared future. We view our goal of a "Terror-Free Türkiye" in conjunction with the broader vision of a "Terror-Free Region", which will help strengthen peace and stability across our region.
Through our "United in a Common Future" communications campaign, we aim to ensure that the process is properly understood, that the expectations and concerns of different segments of society are heard, and that our collective commitment to a shared future is strengthened. Throughout this process, we consider it our fundamental responsibility to remain mindful of the sensitivities of the families of our martyrs, our veterans and citizens affected by terrorism, and to rely on verified information in the face of disinformation and provocations.
Our aspiration is for the Century of Türkiye to become a century of peace, stability and prosperity for our entire region.
I would like to thank the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, Prof. Numan Kurtulmuş, for honouring us with his presence, as well as all the participants who contributed to our programme and panel, and everyone who worked to make this event possible. I wish for our unity, solidarity and brotherhood to endure forever."
