The Presidency’s Communication Centre (CİMER), operating under our Directorate, was recognised in two categories at the International Public Relations Association’s (IPRA) "Golden World Awards for Excellence"—widely regarded as the “Oscars of Public Relations”. The awards won by CİMER were presented at the ceremony held on October 3 in Accra, the capital of Ghana.
The Directorate of Communications has added yet another award to its growing list of national and international accolades, earned through projects implemented under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s communication vision. Through its efforts to cement the mission of CİMER as a communication bridge between the state and the nation, the Directorate continues to contribute significantly to turning CİMER into a brand in the name of our country and enhancing Türkiye’s qualified representation.
The "Golden World Awards for Excellence", organised by the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) since 1990 with the participation of esteemed organisations in both the public and private sectors worldwide, are conferred to applications that reach excellence standards in the field of public relations. In the competition, which features a two-stage evaluation process, applications are initially assessed by a jury composed of communication professionals who are experts in their field, based on the quality of research, planning, implementation, and outcomes in various categories. Subsequently, applications that are eligible for an award are determined based on concrete goals, creative strategies, and outputs.
In the competition featuring 49 categories, CİMER was awarded in the "Public Sector" category with the "Barrier-Free CİMER" project and in the "Crisis Management" category with the "CİMER – Earthquake Emergency" project. In the context of ensuring the inclusiveness and continuity of communication between the nation and the state, both projects emerge as concrete indicators of CİMER's strong, accessible, and solution-oriented communication approach with the public.
The Earthquake Emergency Project was launched at 08:30 on the morning of the earthquake, anticipating that CİMER, one of the first solution mechanisms that comes to mind in times of crisis, would receive a high volume of applications following the earthquakes epicentred in Kahramanmaraş on February 6. With the introduction of a type of application dedicated to the earthquake, it has become easier and faster for citizens to apply, while for public institutions, it has become possible to prioritise applications and calls from the earthquake region and to carry out application processes in a coordinated manner. In this context, a total of approximately 2 million applications and calls were made in relation to the earthquake.
Aiming to maintain uninterrupted communication between the nation and the state, CİMER personnel and the CİMER Call Center have switched to a 24/7 working schedule in line with rising application volume. In addition, communication groups were formed under the coordination of the Directorate of Communications, consisting of representatives from all relevant institutions and organisations to ensure faster and on-site resolution of problems and to meet demands.
The Earthquake Emergency Project enabled our citizens in the earthquake-affected region to make their voices heard more quickly and allowed authorities to better gauge the situation in the region. Applications were analysed to provide a real-time flow of information regarding the earthquake region. On the other hand, citizens from all over our country reported that they are ready to assist in the efforts in the earthquake zone through the Earthquake Emergency application type.
The Barrier-Free CİMER Project was implemented with a view to reinforcing the communication bridge between the nation and the state, making it easier for our citizens with visual, hearing, and speech impairments to access CİMER. It has become possible for our visually impaired citizens to apply to CİMER by using screen readers on their computers and for our hearing- and speech-impaired citizens to conduct video calls through sign language interpreters over the mobile application that they can download to their phones. This project has facilitated the application processes to CİMER by offering digital solutions tailored for the needs of individuals with disabilities with the aim of easing their access to public institutions and strengthening equal opportunities in social life.