Director of Communications Prof. Fahrettin Altun, in his speech at the 2019 Evaluation Program of the Directorate of Communications said that they have accomplished many important works that Turkey needed.
Altun noted that we live in a challenging geography and a tough period, and continued: “Although our country is affected by security crises, trade wars and geopolitical competition that are around us and in the world outside, Turkey displays a serious performance to develop a new geopolitical vision and overcome the challenges it faces. In this environment we make space for ourselves, we set the game and we spoil the game. Today, we are implementing our own unique politics in many complicated issues from the fight against terrorism to the solution of the Syrian issue, from the Cyprus issue to the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. We do not back down, we defend our thesis with a strong voice on all international platforms.”
Fahrettin Altun stated the following:
“In this challenging conjuncture, Turkey reinforces its existence as an active and deterrent military force that maintains political stability in the region and thus bases its new vision on a more solid foundation. Of course, at this point, the strong leadership of our President, the political will we have and the insight of our nation is of great importance. As a matter of fact, our bargaining power in the international arena increases depending on our regional power. Even Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring has shown that in spite of all attempts of siege, we can establish our own game and we can overthrow the geopolitical engineering projects of foreign actors similar to those of 100 years ago.”
“Our main objective is to strengthen the Turkish brand”
Altun noted that, Directorate of Communications has assumed the role of representing Turkey eligibly in both national and international levels and works in that direction, and stated that they have defined their main objective as “strengthening the Turkish brand.”
“Our aim is to carry out qualified and valuable works befitting our country’s rise and to make the voice of our nation as well as the rightful struggle of our state heard across the world.” Altun said.
Emphasizing that they are obliged to tell Turkey's development story, its values, its human and justice-based approach in the global political arena to the country and the world public opinion in the best manner, Altun said: “We are doing this, we have to do it more powerfully, and we will. Our target audiences are not only decision makers, but also think-tanks, artists, opinion leaders and, sure enough, national and international communities.”
“We carry out an integrated and strategic communication”
Altun said that the Directorate of Communications has taken significant steps since its establishment and that the Directorate focuses mainly on daily crises, current issues, periodical problems and issues related to Turkey’s reputation.
Stating that the state has a duty to establish a unified discourse, Altun said:
“Recently, we have been attending very important meetings and summits under the leadership of our President, with books prepared by our Directorate in many languages that strengthen Turkey’s hand. In line with the subject of the meetings, we present the current status of Turkey, the hard problems it has overcome and our expectations in line with these as a document to the leaders and others concerned. These books are not just simple documents; these are works that put forward the vision of a strong Turkey that has studied its lesson well, who knows what it’s doing and what it wants. We support the theses in the books with infographics and videos on social media. Articles on the relevant topic authored by us and our President in particular appear in the international media. This is exactly what I mean when I say integrity and strategic communication. We don’t think we have completed our mission just by preparing a book. We support it with social media, traditional media and international meetings. Certainly, these works emerge through coordinated efforts with our powerful institutions that contribute to the production of our thesis, discourse and policies.”
“We have to be on guard to fend off attacks”
Altun stated that, in field of public diplomacy, they were trying to explain to the international public opinion Turkey's rightful stance in the face of new developments and instant attacks on the one hand, and they made long-term investments by organizing short, medium and long-term strategic communication campaigns at the international level and tried to win over strategic actors in the international arena, on the other hand.
Fahrettin Altun evaluated the following:
“In this context, we have to be constantly on alert in order to produce systematic responses to the attacks aimed at cornering Turkey and to fend off these attacks. And in this process, we have seen that it is not enough to only explain the current events correctly, but that it also requires the use of historical information in a strategic way. For example, the slander of the so-called Armenian genocide is a lie that some actors resort to whenever they want to corner Turkey in the international arena. We cannot deal with this lie and slander only with current political analyses and theses. What we need to do is to call up real historical information and data, and to carry this information and data to the international arena. We launched a website called 1915.gov.tr. This site takes historical information and data in its centre and responds internationally to the so-called Armenian genocide slander which is put before Turkey at every opportunity. In this way, we contribute to our thesis that the subject should not be used as a ‘stick’ in the field of politics, that history should not be politicized and that real historical knowledge should be revealed. Again, in order to deal with the lies of the so-called Armenian genocide, we periodically circulate infographic samples prepared in different languages on social media and we mediate publications that narrate Turkey's thesis. In addition, we exchange ideas with our stakeholders and organize workshops to form the basis of our activities. In the upcoming period, once again with cooperation, we want to produce quality works that are lasting.”
“We tell the world public opinion about the dark, bloody and true faces of terrorist organizations”
Pointing out that there is no other country in the world today that struggles with terrorist organizations as much as Turkey, Altun stated the following:
“We are engaged in a relentless struggle against the terrorist organizations such as FETÖ, PKK/YPG and DEASH at the same time, and our success in the fight against terrorism is a widely accepted fact. We are trying to explain this great struggle against all terrorist organizations without discrimination and to show the dark, bloody and true faces of these terrorist organizations to the world public opinion in the best way possible. As a matter of fact, we have come a long way in conveying the realities in the field to the world during Operation Peace Spring. We have successfully managed a process that requires close coordination, especially with the coordination centre we established under our Directorate, the instant information mechanism for the international media, press conferences, the works we have done for the security of journalists, briefings on the northeast of Syria that we continue to share with the related parties twice a day, concept definition, op-ed articles, live broadcasts, interviews, social media activities. But we still have a lot to do. Because we are Turkey. Because we are assertive. Because our claim is big.”
“It is our duty to tell FETO to the whole world”
Altun stated that they gave a very important message to the world when recently a YPG terrorism victim read the congress manifesto and a FETO victim explained this terrorist organization at the International Conference on Victims of Terrorism in France, an international conference organized under the auspices of the president of a country that does not recognize YPG and FETO as a terrorist organization.
Fahrettin Altun said that “Every employee of our Directorate of Communications has a very important role in the fight against a hybrid and violent terrorist organization like FETO. It is our duty to tell to the whole world the crimes and the real characters of this criminal community, to shed light on their activities in the international arena, especially the treacherous coup attempt of July 15, and all their persecutions in Turkey’s history.”
Stating that in this context, with the circular issued by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the coordination for July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day Commemoration Activities was given to the Directorate of Communications, Altun continued as follows:
“This year, we have tried to assume this difficult, comprehensive and equally honourable task with success. I hope that next year we will perform this task with an even better quality. In 2019, approximately 1,500 events were held in Turkey and abroad within the scope of the July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day Commemoration Activities. In order to ensure visual integrity as well as content in all these programs and projects, our Directorate also prepared the corporate identity. Within the scope of raising awareness on July 15; the 'Network' documentary showing the darkest and foulest face of FETÖ terrorist organization was displayed in 16 countries, simultaneous flash mob events were held in London and Istanbul, mobile screen show event was held in New York, Taksim July 15 Digital Display Centre, July 15 International Anti-Impact Hackathon were carried out.”
“We carry out internationally qualified works”
Speaking on the media relations activities of the Directorate of Communications, Altun said, “As part of our Directorate’s activities; members of international press are informed in different languages, articles and interviews appear in international media, meetings are held with representatives of foreign press, editors and journalists, and television and social media broadcasts are made. Press card and accreditation procedures of national and international press members are also carried out with the intensive work and efforts of dozens of our colleagues.”
In addition to create an effective communication channel between the state and the nation, Prof. Dr. Altun noted that works of CIMER and an I Have Idea for My Country in 2019 project are continued, and said, “It is a very difficult task to respond to the demands of the public in such a short time and this structure received two awards last year with its success. The fact that CIMER and I Have an Idea project received two gold awards from the International Public Relations Association, which is called the ‘Oscars of Communication’, shows that our works are internationally qualified.”
“We will tell Turkey’s story at every occasion and in every opportunity”
Altun noted that since its establishment the Directorate of Communications has gone a long way in terms of their work and their qualifications and said, “But we have a longer way to go and we have to set our goals and move forward in order to make our journey productive.”
Indicating that they will spend much more effort for the management of Turkey's prestige in the international arena Altun said that they will put forward innovative projects which will surpass even the current communication campaigns in the world and they will tell Turkey’s story at every occasion and in every opportunity.
Noting that they would struggle more powerfully with the latest disinformation and black propaganda, especially increasing towards Turkey, Altun stated that they would accelerate the activities that increase coordination among institutions in order to spread the common message awareness in the administrative units of the state.
Underlining that they will work to eliminate the injustice in the flow of international information, Altun said, “To prevent our region from being a passive news object we will improve the quality of our international media tools, so that it will turn into an international media base that produces its own news.”
Altun explained that they will carry out more systematic activities in order to facilitate the works of the press members and organize the media field, and stated that they will always keep the communication channels open, as they are the most important communication bridge between the people and the state, they will increase the quality of CİMER and build mechanisms to feel the pulse of the society.
Altun said, “Together with the leadership of our President will work with our full strength to properly fulfil our task, which is to make the voice and stance of our country heard to the world.”