As part of the "Turkish-German Media Forum" organised by our Directorate, the session "Two Countries, Common Stories: Turkish-German Cooperation in Media" was held.
Held in the Conference Hall of the Directorate of Communications, the session "Two Countries, Common Stories: Turkish-German Cooperation in Media," which was moderated by Rector of Turkish-German University, Prof. Cemal Yıldız, was attended by former German Ambassador to Ankara, Eckart Cuntz, Europe Coordinator of "Hürriyet" daily, Ahmet Külahçı, Diplomatic Correspondent at Stern Magazine, Steffen Gassel, and the Editor-in-Chief at Berlin TV, Dursun Yiğit as speakers.
Former Ambassador Cuntz noted that the centennial of Türkiye-Germany diplomatic ties was marked in 2024 and mentioned that the two nations have maintained relations for three centuries, adding in Turkish, "Türkiye is of great significance to Germany. And I hope that Germany is also significant to Türkiye."
Cuntz, citing the existence of communes in Germany named "Türkheim" and "Obertürkheim," pointed out that Türkiye and Germany have enjoyed historical ties.
"Under Atatürk's leadership, Türkiye was able to build a robust republic," Cuntz said.
Cuntz emphasised that Türkiye has made significant strides in foreign politics, such as the Grain Corridor, and expressed his belief that it could play a key role in securing a ceasefire in the Russian-Ukrainian War.
Diplomatic Correspondent Gassel noted that Türkiye's role in Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO was pivotal, and it is not widely recognised that Türkiye is a "commendable" partner as a NATO ally.
Gassel remarked that Türkiye is one of Europe's most significant neighbours and underscored the fact that many Turkish people reside in Germany.
"The Media's Responsibilities in the Age of Disinformation"
Moderated by the Coordinator of the Centre for Combatting Disinformation at the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, İdris Kardaş, the session titled "The Media's Responsibilities in the Age of Disinformation" was attended by political analyst and journalist Klaus Jürgens, Shiftdelete.net founder, Hakkı Alkan, Anadolu Agency (AA) Fact Check Line Manager, Ömer Faruk Görçin, and Editor-in-Chief at NRW News, Hayrettin Özcan as speakers.
Jürgens gave a presentation on some of the disinformation in the German media against Türkiye.
He expressed his "outrage" at the news that embodies disinformation, noting that some journalists have yet to completely grasp this aspect.
Jürgens emphasised that these news reports present a negative portrayal of Türkiye and that artificial intelligence is utilised for generating disinformation.
Citing his request to ChatGPT for an article on Türkiye-US relations, Jürgens remarked that he was surprised by the negative statements on Türkiye.
