Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun gave an interview on communications strategy in Turkey's fight against the coronavirus for the May issue of the Turkish Red Crescent’s magazine titled 1868.
While there is no clear data on the developments regarding coronavirus in many countries, our Presidency has been informing the people at every stage since the first case. What type of communication strategy have you adopted at the beginning of this period?
Under the leadership of our President, we follow a transparency-based communication strategy in the period of fighting against the coronavirus (Covid-19), as always we do. Just as we share the real and enlightening information about all developments with our nation quickly, we are also waging a great fight against disinformation.
In order to minimize the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, our state has implemented many measures and mobilized all resources even before the first case was confirmed. At the beginning of the period, the National Strategy was set out by forming a Scientific Board within the Ministry of Health with the instructions of our President. All the decisions taken and the data obtained here have been openly presented to the public. Periodic briefings were transparently provided on the numbers of tests, cases, deaths, and recoveries.
We asked our citizens to follow the official statements of our President, the Ministry of Health, and the Directorate of Communications carefully and to comply with the measures announced precisely. On the other hand, we have constantly reiterated our call not to trust the news with disinformative content and posts deliberately circulated on the social media, and not to allow the enemies of Turkey to abuse the crisis. The decisions, measures, and supports implemented by all our ministries and institutions have been quickly announced to our citizens. We have been very open and transparent about the precautionary measures and data, and we continue to do so.
There are many aid and support initiatives such as free mask distribution, Vefa social support groups established to meet the needs of the elderly, economic packages, food distribution to stray animals. What are the reactions that you receive directly from citizens regarding these initiatives?
Every measure and every step taken within the framework of combating Covid-19 has been highly embraced by our people. The support for the National Solidarity Campaign launched by our President with the call "We are self-sufficient, Turkey" is also a sign of that. Our citizens express their pleasure and gladness for the services provided via CIMER or on social media. We are very happy and touched by the messages we received through CIMER from our citizens who wanted to donate their income from olive trees in the garden of their school, pensioner bonus payments, additional course fees, and veteran’s salaries.
Our citizens who have common sense do not give credit to those people who want to throw mud at the services and disparage the public institutions and organizations actively involved in the struggle. Our Vefa Social Support Groups reach out to thousands of citizens every day. The loving hand of our state and nation has touched upon many citizens of ours, particularly our honorable senior citizens, thanks to the Vefa Social Support scheme. It is a source of pride to us that we see the finest examples of benevolence and solidarity that run in the blood of our nation in these trying times, too, as always.
In the face of such a global pandemic because of which the world leaves its senior citizens to death and the states send hospital bills to patients after treatments, how do you manage to keep the "humanitarian communication" between our state and its citizens at such a high quality?
As instructed by our President, we do not leave alone any citizens of ours home or abroad. The latest example of it was when we sent an air ambulance to Sweden to bring home Emrullah Gülüşken who tested positive for Covid-19 but could not receive any treatment there. All of our public institutions and organizations actively involved in the struggle work in the most humane way possible, ensuring that all people, not just the citizens, have confidence and trust in the Republic of Turkey. This is also demonstrated by the high sensitivity of our citizens in complying with the measures. This is because our citizens know that our state does not and will not take a step in disfavor of and despite its nation.
As our President always says, we act in accordance with the motto, "We love the created for the sake of the Creator" and "Keep your people alive so that they will keep their state alive", and manifest a humane attitude not only towards our citizens but also towards all people in the collective struggle of the entire world.
Do you think that Turkey's support for other countries in these difficult days while also fighting the pandemic within itself has enough coverage in the international media?
Turkey has provided medical supplies to 57 different countries so far as part of the global fight against coronavirus. These aids are provided within the framework of humanitarian responsibility. Turkey is the world's leading country in the humanitarian aids and assistance it provides, just as its fight against Covid-19 is exemplary. However, although we are putting up the most effective fight against the pandemic at home and abroad, unfortunately, international media can ignore Turkey's success.
Moreover, the international media has made unacceptable mistakes by manipulatively and deliberately servicing photographs originating from Turkey for their news and reports of travel restrictions in the USA and the lockdown of businesses in Italy. We showed our reaction to the misleading news by sending letters to these media outlets immediately and ensured that the said photographs were removed. Most recently, we wrote a letter to The New York Times of the USA, which did not cover Turkey's success in its editorial on the successful countries in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing the newspaper to correct its mistake.
It is nothing but an expression of the hostility against Turkey to ignore Turkey's success in the fight against the pandemic in the international media or to service malicious news and photographs for that matter, while our President leads the global initiatives in the struggle against the pandemic through telephone diplomacy and emphasizes that the process can result in success only through international solidarity.