Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun stressed the significance of protecting personal data in the digital realm, stating, “The fight against the terrorism of lies is the most crucial pillar of our communication model.” He added that Türkiye was subjected to attrition campaigns due to its resistance to global disinformation and perception management mechanisms.
Presidency’s Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun attended the Inaugural National Symposium on the Protection of Personal Data in Audio-Visual Media, which was held in a hotel with the cooperation of the Personal Data Protection Authority (KVKK) and the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), as well as the contributions of Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University.
Director of Communications Altun, addressing the attendees, remarked that the media, an arena where information is produced, reproduced, and distributed, has undergone faster and more significant changes compared to the preceding period and that media culture has altered dramatically in the recent past.
Director of Communications Altun stated that the rapid pace of technological change has resulted in the emergence of new, autonomous social spaces and added that digitalisation had altered the established understandings of the media and traditional corporate practices, which presents both opportunities and challenges.
Director of Communications Altun continued:
“Today, we see that the highly rapid collection, processing, and transmission of information can threaten the rights of individuals, particularly those pertaining to their moral existence, such as their right to privacy, not to be disturbed, to remain anonymous, and to reputation. The concept of protecting personal data reflects the effort to counteract this threat. The unauthorised acquisition of personal data from individuals is, first and foremost, a breach of fundamental human rights. The protection of personal data is directly linked to the right to privacy. Undoubtedly, digital technology is the most challenging domain to safeguard privacy in a data-driven ecosystem. Protecting personal data is the key to maintaining privacy in this sphere. Personal data can impact not just a person’s past and present but also their future. From this perspective, protecting personal data has thus become a fundamental requirement in today’s social context.”
Director of Communications Altun stated that safeguarding individuals’ data, which must be secured from third-party access in order to maintain the privacy of their private lives, was also a legal obligation.
Director of Communications Altun stated, “Taking steps against crimes that may occur in audio-visual media is neither a choice nor a means for states to control society; rather, it is part of their responsibility to their citizens,” and emphasised that for the public authority to reflect on this and attempt to adopt relevant regulations is not an option, but a must.
“Efforts for a more secure media are fundamentally a part of our fight for the truth”
Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun stated that over the past two decades, Türkiye, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s leadership, has undergone significant transformations in media, communications and information technologies, as well as in other fields, and strengthened its legal infrastructure.
Director of Communications Altun highlighted that the constitutional amendment in 2010 secured the protection of personal data by providing a constitutional framework and ensured the legal regulation of the procedures and principles regarding the protection of personal data, noting that, as part of these efforts, the Convention No. 108 was first integrated into domestic law by being published in the Official Gazette on March 17, 2016.
Director of Communications stated that thereafter, on April 7, 2016, Personal Data Protection Law became effective, adding:
“In the context of the protection of personal data, it is also crucial to establish a secure media. The security of mass media and industries is essential to social order and national security, as well as to personal rights. Efforts for a more secure media are fundamentally a part of our fight for the truth. They are also a component of the communication mobilisation our President has called for. As our President stated, the fight against the ‘terrorism of lies’ waged both domestically and abroad is one of the most crucial pillars of our Türkiye’s Communication Model.”
Noting that their foreign policy moves, which have placed Türkiye in a central position both in the regional and global arenas, and their performance in informing the domestic and foreign public were against global disinformation and perception management centres, Director of Communications Altun stated, “Our country is subjected to various sieges and attrition wars as a result of the resistance. Our President’s fight for the truth and the firm stance we have taken are upsetting those who want to relegate Türkiye to the international dependency system of the past. That is why they try to achieve results by introducing novel approaches. Can they deliver results? Thanks be to Allah; they cannot. Türkiye is confidently moving forward under the leadership of our President.
According to Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun, visual, audio, and digital media distort the agenda and developments to reflect their own ideas, reflect them differently, or fail to see what is happening and make up what is not.
Stating that it is now clear that world-renowned media outlets or widely used digital platforms are not, as described, impartial channels, Director of Communications Altun went on to say:
“It is obvious that each of these is a subject with holdings and media giants behind it and ideas about politics, economy, and many fundamental issues, and a party to these issues. By concealing their subjectivity, they project themselves as a referee rather than a player. We have seen how biased these platforms are and how they can intervene in political and social issues from an ideological standpoint time and again. This means that these platforms, these technologies, cannot be justified by claiming to be neutral, supra-cultural, universal, or global. They do, in fact, act ideologically and arbitrarily. It is true that these platforms operate entirely under their own names and capacities. In recent years, there has been an increase in their systematic attacks on our country and our President. Since 2010, it has been almost a part of the global political landscape.”
Director of Communications Altun stated that disinformation, black propaganda, fifth column activities, cyber-attacks, and malicious activities of terrorist organisations continue unabated in the digital world. Director of Communications Altun pointed to how their target can vary from states to politicians, government institutions and organisations, the private sector, and average citizens, adding, “As we have seen in the WikiLeaks case, if the necessary measures are not taken, even classified documents in the hands of the most distinguished intelligence agencies can be exposed. The codes of large technology corporations that spend billions on data security, which are supposed to remain confidential, can easily be obtained by anyone with an internet connection on the opposite side of the globe.”
“We need national communication platforms to be improved”
Presidency’s Director of Communications Altun cited a recent event involving a global texting application’s decision to disclose user information and how fresh it is in the minds of the public.
Arguing that as people grow more aware of the importance of protecting their personal data, the significance of developing and implementing national technologies will become more evident, Director of Communications Altun said:
“With this in mind, the significance of our country’s technology move becomes equally evident. Faced with double standards on personal data, we believe it is vital to opt for domestic and national communication platforms such as BİP and Yaay, but this is insufficient. In addition to the visual and auditory platforms, we must improve domestic and national communication platforms that will operate in the digital realm and make massive and meaningful investments in this area. This need is an urgent one as of today. Even though we have successful initiatives in this area, they still need to be improved and expanded. In addition to the steps taken and yet to be taken by the public sector, the business world and the private sector should also be active in this area, and this will contribute to the democracy and citizenship culture of our country and establish a healthier communication ecosystem, thus adding another cornerstone to the path of our fight for the truth.”
Presidency’s Director of Communications Altun emphasised how personal privacy is a fundamental right and is vital in social life, necessitating special attention in this area.
Noting that the degree of harm to privacy has greatly increased with the widespread use of communication technologies in this regard, Director of Communications Altun said, “Violation of privacy in the social sphere is exploitation. It is a form of colonialism that this violation of privacy increases through the media. We must fight against this exploitation and colonialism. I think the symposium is a crucial component of this fight. In the current digital age, we can observe how press broadcasts can extend their reach to the far-flung when also shared on the internet. The harms caused by publications, which violate the right to privacy and contain personal data, are significantly greater for society and the individuals whose rights are infringed because they are much more permanent and easily accessible in the digital world.”
“95% of people have access to the internet”
Director of Communications Altun stated that a person’s private information, which should be kept private, continues to exist in the virtual world forever and is accessible to everyone when posted on visual, auditory, or digital media since it is possible to duplicate the information, photographs, videos, and audio recordings.
At the same time, Director of Communications Altun claimed that they had seen how the virtual world was changing into a chaotic, dystopian medium and gradually replacing reality, and he said:
“We all carry on with our work in this medium. Given this, our duty is to protect our youth, children, and future from this disaster, but we also need to protect ourselves. Our country has a 95% internet access rate, according to the latest research data from the Social Network Map that the Directorate of Communications introduced in 2022. 98% of those with internet access use at least one social network. Of course, a significant portion of this can be attributed to the technological breakthroughs and infrastructure investments we have accomplished over the past 20 years. We attach importance to how technology improves and facilitates social and personal life. However, it is also true that we confront various threats and problems in this field as social networks and technology become more prevalent and offer more opportunities. As indicated by the data, our population under the age of 18 today intentionally or unintentionally shares their or their parents’ personal data on virtual platforms where they spend most of their time. It has become imperative to impose discipline on the processing of personal data, protect individuals’ personal data, raise their awareness regarding their rights, and instil a culture of data protection awareness among all segments of society. While maintaining a liberal attitude in line with the spirit of these media, we are determined not to allow the rights of our citizens to be violated and public order to be disrupted.”
“We are fighting for sovereignty in the cyber world as well”
Pointing out that what matters the most is individual and public benefit, citizens’ rights and freedoms, and legality, Director of Communications Altun made the following remarks:
“It is not up for debate to exclude any area from the reach of the law. With this understanding, we define the digital universe as the ‘cyber homeland’. Just as we are fighting for sovereignty in the real world, we are fighting for sovereignty in the cyber world as well. We prioritise and address security issues in the cyber world in the same ways that we prioritise and address security issues in the real world. We consider cyber security as an element of our national security and regard cybercrimes as essential elements to be tackled. We are exerting every effort to safeguard our cyber homeland and cyber sovereignty. At this point, it’s critical that all of our public institutions and organisations, our private sector, our non-governmental organisations, and our universities act together and in strong coordination to ensure that the cyber homeland is strengthened on the basis of the rights of our citizens. We see that collaboratively addressing such threats and challenges can lead to extremely effective outcomes for the benefit of society and the protection of individual rights.
Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun thanked RTÜK (Radio and Television Supreme Council), KVKK (Personal Data Protection Authority) and Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University for their efforts in organising the symposium.
Presidency’s Director of Communications Altun was presented with a plaque by RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin and KVKK President Prof. Faruk Bilir.
Anadolu Agency’s Deputy Director General Oğuz Enis Peru also attended the symposium.
