In his speech at the Turkish-German Media Forum organised by our Directorate, Ambassador Akif Çağatay Kılıç, Chief Advisor to the President on Foreign Policy and Security, pointed out that the world is going through an extraordinary time that will shape and lay the foundations for the developments that will occur in the next 50-100 years.
Pointing out that Türkiye and Germany share 300 years of history when it comes to interstate and international relations, Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç noted that interstate relations transformed into people-to-people relations with the Recruitment Agreement in 1960.
Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç noted that 3.5 million people migrated from Türkiye to Germany at various times, returned to Türkiye, or remained there and that an estimated 5.5 million Turkish diaspora members reside abroad.
Highlighting that the German media occasionally raised various accusations against Türkiye and that these accusations also targeted Turkish citizens living in Germany, Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç stated that as Türkiye, they were exerting efforts to reveal the truth.
Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç stressed that the most important pillar of these efforts is education and that the establishment of the Turkish-German University marks a significant step in terms of direct intellectual communication; however, it is insufficient.
"Many of them demonstrate a profoundly hypocritical stance"
Indicating that there are still a significant number of people in Germany who still harbour unfavourable sentiments towards Türkiye, Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç said, "When you look at the media outlets that constantly criticise, attempt to criticise and articulate severe criticisms of Türkiye regarding human rights, freedom of the press, and the democratic progress in relation to these issues, you can see that many of them demonstrate a profoundly hypocritical stance.
Stating that it is impossible to deny that certain media outlets approach Türkiye with pure prejudice, Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç said:
''You will not be able to call the massacre in Gaza a 'massacre'; you will not be able to portray the events in Gaza accurately and impartially; you will not be able to criticise Israel on historical or other grounds, or you will only criticise it sparingly, but you will detain and arrest those who criticise Israel on the streets. You will restrict freedom of assembly and freedom of expression when it is necessary, but this will never be properly covered in the German media, whereas when it comes to Türkiye, you will say things like 'lack of democracy, restriction of freedom of assembly, restrictions on social media, and in quotes you will say that politics is exercising tutelage over everything'.''
''They pontificate about Türkiye as so-called experts''
Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç expressed their desire for positive relations between Türkiye and Germany and indicated that efforts are underway to achieve this.
Stating that they declare without reservation the situations in which they want Germany to be on Türkiye's side within the framework of certain approaches, Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç said that there are occasional positive, abstaining, and opposing situations, yet there is a terribly prejudiced approach towards the media.
Drawing attention to the fact that the existence of sympathisers of the terrorist organisation PKK and members of the terrorist organisation FETO, who were allowed to speak, express themselves, and exert influence in Germany, is still highly effective, Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç continued:
"Today, people who are still wanted by Türkiye in Germany, based on some seriously negative data and evidence, and whose extradition has been requested by Türkiye, appear on media outlets and pontificate about Türkiye as so-called experts, putting aside the issue of extradition or the fact that they are able to walk the streets freely. Unfortunately, some media executives feature these people, whom they use as convenient pawns for themselves; in this way, public opinion is moulded, and a certain perception develops. When you look at these perceptions and public opinions, I believe that because Türkiye is viewed from the outside, many German-origin or German businesspeople, journalists, diplomats, and academics in various fields who work in Türkiye might be surprised to see that what is being told and expressed there does not reflect reality in Türkiye."
Indicating that criticism was a different matter and that they also criticised the attitudes of many countries in international relations, Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç emphasised that criticising is different from approaching from a prejudiced perspective and manipulating or trying to manage perception.
"Engaging in international politics is not within your purview; that responsibility lies with governments"
Reminding the "Terrorism-free Türkiye" goal initiated by the will of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç drew attention to the 13-year civil war in Syria, the situations in Iraq and Lebanon, Israel's attacks on Palestine, and the events in the Ukraine-Russia War.
Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç emphasised that media outlets in Türkiye addressed serious debates, ideas, and opinions in their broadcasts and that there was not an issue of silencing the voice of the press.
Remarking that, in a public opinion poll conducted one month after the election in Germany, the Alternative for Germany Party (AfD) had 25 per cent of the votes, while the Christian Union (CDU/CSU) parties, currently in charge of forming the government, had between 24 per cent and 26 per cent of the votes, Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç advised the German media to investigate the reasons for this situation.
The Chief Advisor to President Kılıç stated that the German media should examine the fact that a party seen as "racist" and "far-right" had a place in German politics with 25 per cent of the vote and focus on these situations rather than events beyond its borders.
Pointing out that each country might have its priorities and challenges on various issues, Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç said:
"Problems arise when we fail to engage with one another in a fair and just manner, particularly when we approach each other with prejudice. When private companies engage in political matters, it is unlikely to lead to positive outcomes. What am I trying to convey with this? In other words, individuals who need to engage in politics, individuals who need to be in political life, continue their political lives. So, individuals who are suited to invest should persist in their role as businesspeople. While you may have established practices within your domestic company, it is important to recognise that engaging in international politics is not within your purview; that responsibility lies with governments. That responsibility lies with certain wings of parliaments. But that responsibility certainly does not lie with you. One should not respond with 'Why are you reacting to us' when one gets reactions regarding this fact. Because no matter what it is, every opinion, idea, or statement might have a counter-reaction."
Underscoring the historical significance of Türkiye-Germany relations, Chief Advisor to the President Kılıç stated that, despite occasional disagreements on certain issues, the two countries would always maintain a close relationship due to their shared history and the high level of communication established between them.