Deputy Director of Communications Çağatay Özdemir participated as a guest in an interview moderated by Prof Nancy Snow from California State University at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2024, where he answered various questions posed to him.
Noting that he authored a book on Türkiye's soft power practices, Özdemir emphasised that Türkiye has put soft power practices at the centre since the 2000s and thus emerged as a leader that bases its policies both in foreign policy and in other fields within certain frameworks.
Stating that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's position in this regard and the importance he attaches to soft power practices were quite critical, Özdemir said, "We see that Türkiye demonstrates its soft power practices at critical moments both in its immediate geography and globally."
Özdemir remarked that they endeavoured to exercise soft power through various sets of concepts, particularly public diplomacy and stated that public diplomacy had an important place in the discipline of international relations.
Pointing out that Türkiye ranks third in the world in terms of the number of diplomatic representations, Özdemir said that Anadolu Agency, TRT and Press Advertisement Agency, which are affiliated and related organisations of the Directorate of Communications, had a framework that affected media outputs on a global scale and explained the efforts carried out in this regard.
Özdemir stated that they were fighting against national and international disinformation, information pollution and fake news through the Centre for Combating Disinformation within the Presidency's Directorate of Communications. Özdemir pointed out that Türkiye made serious strides in the TV series industry and emphasised that the country became a centre of attraction by producing TV series, films and productions on the international stage.
Remarking that national and international agreements in this field are crucial for the establishment of a healthy communication ecosystem, Özdemir also told the story of the "Bulletproof Dreams: Gaza Child Artists Exhibition," organised by the Directorate of Communications at the ADF.
"Türkiye was the first country to call for an end to the atrocity"
Emphasising that Türkiye is an important actor in the geography surrounded by a variety of crises, Özdemir said:
"Türkiye is the first country that countries in the Middle East and the region turn to for security, the first country to receive a knock on its door in diplomatic crises, and the first to be asked for assistance in economic problems. This is the fundamental approach we have established under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Türkiye has contributed significantly to international mediation and the peaceful resolution of crises on the international stage. So far, President Erdoğan has never turned away anyone who knocked on our door. He supported everyone, guided everyone, and assisted everyone in need. The President's leadership and motivation have propelled the Republic of Türkiye to this strong position."
Emphasising that Türkiye has been the main actor in both mediation and humanitarian aid in all crises in the region, from the Middle East to the Balkans, Özdemir touched on Türkiye's struggle to stop atrocities in Gaza as well as the Ukraine-Russia war.
Özdemir concluded his words, saying:
"Türkiye was the first country to call for an end to the humanitarian crisis, the brutality, the deaths of children, the breakdown of families, the displacement of people, and the atrocities committed. Türkiye has been supporting this just cause through assistance and diplomatic initiatives on the international stage. President Erdoğan has made and continues to make numerous efforts to stop this atrocity. He is doing his best to achieve enduring peace in Palestine. We see that our President has strongly called for an end to the atrocities and oppression in Gaza on numerous international platforms. Yesterday, our President emphasised that Türkiye was willing to act as a guarantor country to put an end to the atrocities and ensure peace. President Erdoğan's heartfelt efforts and belief are what make Türkiye special."
