Turkish Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun made a speech at the Disaster Communication Symposium on the 1st Anniversary of the Disaster of the Century.
During his address, Altun pointed out the necessity of an effective process management in emergency response efforts in all disasters, irrespective of their magnitude. Altun also emphasised that disaster communication, a critical component of the integrated disaster management approach, is an integral part of the state's strategic communication policy.
Emphasising that following the bitter experience, they had never once considered "let's just alleviate our pain and get on with our lives," Director of Communications Altun went on to say: "On this matter, our President showed utmost sensitivity, 'The lives that have been lost are irretrievable. However, such disasters and adversities teach strong states valuable lessons; this is what distinguishes them from others,' he said. He has made every effort to ensure that we, as a state and a nation, have gained invaluable lessons from this disastrous tragedy. In our respective field, Türkiye regards the disaster of the century to be a milestone in the context of disaster communication, as well." With this in mind, we have set the following goal. To move Türkiye to the next level of disaster communication through significant efforts while also contributing to the academic and intellectual body of knowledge in the field."
Director of Communications Altun emphasised that fourteen million people were affected in eleven cities by the Kahramanmaraş-centred earthquakes and that the government promptly initiated a reconstruction and recovery mobilisation following the conclusion of search and rescue operations.
Stating that 114,450 workers continue to labour day and night on 930 construction sites in eleven locations within the quake-hit region, Director of Communications Altun said:
"In this context, a significant portion of the tender has been undertaken for 307,000 detached units, 207,000 reserve areas, 50,000 city centres, and 50,000 light steel sections. The construction of the houses, for which the tender has been finalised, continues at a rapid pace. Our goal is to provide support for media representatives and facilitate their presence in the region so that these activities can be closely monitored by the public. Open and transparent communication with the public is the most vital component of this process. This matter has been the focus of our considerable attention since the initial moments of the earthquake. We ensured that the public was informed in the most precise and transparent manner possible by exerting every effort. In the midst of this endeavour, the Turkish media demonstrated unwavering allegiance and laboured assiduously to deliver the nation the truth. Despite the disinformation and hostile campaigns, influential figures in Türkiye's media made significant efforts wielding their pens, and they continue to do so.
Altun emphasised the importance of coordination in disasters, stating that the successful implementation of emergency response and rescue operations depends on the efficient management of institutions' and the public's emergency mindset. Director of Communications Altun noted that the Directorate of Communications has made and continues to make every effort to establish a robust communication ecosystem by leveraging both conventional and modern media platforms and continued:
"In this respect, we quickly activated the CIMER-Earthquake Emergency application following the earthquake and worked around the clock at our headquarters and on the ground. We have made sure that our Earthquake Emergency application facilitates effective communication between the relevant institutions of our state and the citizens affected by earthquakes. This includes coordinating search and rescue efforts, assessing damage to buildings, efficiently distributing aid to victims, providing shelter, ensuring security and public order, and delivering education and health services. Overall, we received and answered approximately 300 thousand applications. We have taken great care to ensure that the rights of both national and international public opinion to information and freedom of expression are respected. In order to facilitate the work of press members operating in earthquake-stricken areas, we have established temporary press centres for both national and international media professionals.
Altun emphasised that malicious actors that attempt to manipulate the emergency psychology created by catastrophic disasters and, therefore, worsen the tragedy must be combated, and went on to say,
"It's unfortunate that they exist, but they do. They carry out their activities in a systematic way. We witnessed this during the earthquakes that struck on February 6. We have seen that malicious actors have primarily used disinformation attacks to manipulate public psychology and impede the progress of search and rescue, rehabilitation, and recovery operations. Through our Centre for Combating Disinformation, we released disinformation bulletins. Between February 6 and 20, 2023, we successfully identified and exposed over 200 disinformative so-called news stories, which were actually lies and could have major negative implications. We uncovered not just the lies but also those who are responsible for them. We demanded that the process be investigated for the public's interest.
Afet sürecinde yapılan dezenformasyon saldırılarının hedeflerine de değinen İletişim Başkanı, “Bu dezenformasyon kampanyalarını yapanların amacı, yetkili otoritelere yönelik kamuoyuna güvensizlik duygusu oluşturmak, yanlış bilgiyi dolaşıma sokarak arama-kurtarma ve yardım faaliyetlerini aksatmaya çalışmak, bu sayede afetten doğrudan ve dolaylı şekilde etkilenen bireyleri yanlış yönlendirmek, kaos ve endişe imal ederek toplumsal dayanıklılık ve direnci zayıflatmak, bireylerin, doğru bilgiye erişmesini engellemek, karar alma süreçlerine darbe vurmak. Hamdolsun, depremlerin ardından devlet ve millet olarak gösterdiğimiz gayretlerle biz büyük ölçüde bu tür kirli hedeflerin amacına ulaşmasını engelledik.
Referring to the objectives of disinformation attacks during the disaster, Director of Communications Altun said, "The aim of those who carry out these disinformation campaigns is to create a sense of public distrust towards the competent authorities and to disrupt search and rescue and relief activities by circulating false information, to mislead individuals directly and indirectly affected by disasters, to weaken social resilience and resistance by generating chaos and anxiety, to prevent individuals from accessing accurate information, and to undermine decision-making processes. Due in large part to the collective endeavours of the nation and state in the aftermath of the earthquakes, we successfully thwarted the objectives of those vile entities. However, this does not imply an end to such attacks. We are aware that such malicious attempts will undoubtedly manifest themselves in potential crisis and disaster situations. In light of this, the struggle against disinformation must be designated as our highest priority concern with regard to disaster communication."
Underscoring the significance of adhering to official institutions and organisations and relying on their statements during times of crisis and disaster, Director of Communications Altun said:
"While getting news and information, we should diversify our sources and never rely on a single source. Particularly on new media, in the aftermath of the catastrophe, we should prioritise the quality and accuracy of posts over their frequency and popularity. In times of disaster, we encounter a process we call 'disaster journalism.' It is imperative that we maintain a resilient stance in the face of this and refrain from endorsing journalism that amplifies and mirrors ostensibly occurring events for the sake of ratings. Rather than being the first to break the news, we should aim to be the ones who report it accurately. It is imperative to consider the possibility that any act of sharing could inadvertently result in misdirection. Information that could exacerbate the magnitude of the catastrophe, impede an effective response, or incite social unrest ought not to be disseminated. Above all else, we must address the issue in a responsible manner that prioritises the property and life safety of individuals."
Director of Communications Altun stated that diversifying communication methods and identifying various alternatives while taking into account various hazards is another aspect of disaster communication and concluded his address as follows:
"In this context, especially local media has significant roles and obligations. Gaining insight into the sociocultural dynamics of a certain area and utilising the knowledge of local media sources and journalists stationed there are crucial. As a result, local media plays a significant role in defining the form, content, and style of messages, announcements, and informational activities. Through our regional directorates and other channels, we, the Directorate of Communications, are in close contact with the local media to support and ensure their active participation in these activities. The Directorate often hosts workshops and discussions for the local media for this purpose. We will keep moving forward in the near future by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of this communication environment. In this sense, I think that our two-day Disaster Communication Symposium will make valuable contributions to this process."