Held under the theme “Disruption in the International System: Crises, Narratives and the Search for Order,” the International Strategic Communication Summit (STRATCOM 2026) featured a panel titled “A New Framework for the Global Order: A Strategic Communication Perspective.”
The panel, moderated by Alican Ayanlar from TRT World, brought together Fuat Oktay, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and AK Party MP for Ankara; Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus; Hamzah Almustafa, Minister of Information of Syria; Zahir Uddin Swapon, Minister of Information and Broadcasting of Bangladesh; and Kanat Iskakov, First Vice Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, as speakers.
Ertuğruloğlu stated that, from the perspective of Turkish Cypriots, the old world order has collapsed, adding that the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have rewarded Greek Cypriots while punishing Turkish Cypriots. Highlighting that disinformation remains one of the biggest challenges faced by Turkish Cypriots, Ertuğruloğlu said, “The non-recognition of the TRNC is also a reason for this.”
Ertuğruloğlu noted that, as Turkish Cypriots, they are targeted by the international community as a kind of “illegal international entity,” and he highlighted Türkiye’s support for his country in overcoming challenges.
Emphasising their determination to oppose injustice, Ertuğruloğlu stated, “We are very fortunate; our homeland Türkiye stands by us.”
The Assad regime’s investments in disinformation
Almustafa, Minister of Information of Syria, also stated that his country has faced significant challenges regarding disinformation.
Almustafa highlighted that the deposed Bashar al‑Assad regime invested in disinformation and employed it as a tool of propaganda, a practice that persisted during the civil war, and underlined that both the Syrian people and the diaspora resisted this disinformation and went on to outline recent efforts to restructure the media in his country.
Almustafa stated that they have been able to re‑establish the media sector, noting television, radio, and internet platforms as examples.
Mustafa stated that more than 15 workshops had been attended by numerous journalists and civil society representatives, adding that they aimed to preserve professionalism and objectivity.
Almustafa drew attention to the difficulty of combating disinformation and the importance of raising awareness, emphasising that regional media played a significant role during the Syrian crisis.
Bangladesh also suffers from disinformation
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Zahir Uddin Swapon of Bangladesh also pointed out that his country has a dense population and therefore suffers from disinformation. Swapon emphasised that Bangladesh has suffered systematic manipulation, adding that they closely follow developed countries in their efforts to counter such manipulation.
Swapon emphasised that manipulation is a problem for all humanity and has not yet been fully resolved. Swapon emphasised that the people of Bangladesh seek access to accurate information and truth and said that the STRATCOM Summit is highly meaningful in this regard.
First Vice Minister of Culture and Information Iskakov of Kazakhstan thanked the Presidency’s Head of Communications, Burhanettin Duran, and underlined that STRATCOM fosters a profound global dialogue and lays the groundwork for international cooperation.
Iskakov pointed out that this year’s STRATCOM theme reflects the current global situation and cautioned that what we face are not merely isolated crises but deeper processes. Iskakov stated that established rules are eroding, trust between states is declining, and tensions in international relations are increasing and emphasised that strategic communication has become not only a supporting tool but also a standalone element of national security.