Presidency’s Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun made remarks following the "The Best of 11 Years, Your Picks" exhibition at Ankara YHT High-Speed Train Station, which was set up to commemorate Anadolu Agency's (AA) 103rd anniversary and displays the winning shots in various categories of the photos of the year since 2012.
Director of Communications Altun and Chairman of the Board and Director General Serdar Karagöz of Anadolu Agency (AA) attended the exhibition. Also present were AA’s Deputy Directors General Yusuf Özhan and Oğuz Enis Peru, as well as other AA executives and staff.
In a statement following the exhibition, Director of Communications Altun expressed gratitude to the Agency's founder, Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and congratulated the Agency on its 103rd anniversary. Director of Communications Altun went on to state that the Agency is an important aspect and indispensable element of the narrative of the Republic of Türkiye, saying, "On the one hand, the agency is the narrator of this story and on the other one of its creators."
“Many international media stories would not exist without AA's contributions”
"If you cast aside the story of Anadolu Agency, the history of the Turkish press, the history of the Turkish media cannot be told," said Director of Communications Altun, noting that AA has made important contributions to the development of the Turkish media and creating more quality content.
Director of Communications Altun stated that they are pleased to see that Anadolu Agency produces a substantial portion of the content in Turkish media. Director of Communications Altun emphasised how AA is a part of Türkiye's story and that this story, which has expanded, flourished, and enriched itself over the last 20 years, saying:
“Anadolu Agency has also enriched itself in line with this enriching story and then has become internationalised as a result of Türkiye's development over the past two decades and its emergence as a regional and global power. In this sense, it expanded its hinterland and became an international news agency appealing to an international audience. As of today, the international media would not be able to tell many stories about our region without the contributions of AA. For instance, if you disregard its contributions to the Russia-Ukraine war, you can see that the international media will not truly comprehend what transpired during the Russia-Ukraine war.”
"AA is an integral part of the struggle for truth"
Director of Communications Altun stated that AA made its strength and presence felt on multiple occasions in the region, citing AA's coverage of the February 6 earthquakes, which were designated the disaster of the century, and stating that their efforts to accurately inform the public were not unnoticed.
Director of Communications Altun stated that the Agency also makes significant efforts to counter disinformation, saying, "As you are aware, we also make significant efforts in this regard. We refer to this as the struggle for truth. AA is an integral part of this struggle for truth. In this respect, we find the Fact-Check Line to be extremely valuable. Through the Fact-Check Line, AA makes the distinction between truth and falsehood crystal clear. These efforts are incredibly helpful, and it is critical that they continue on a global scale."
Director of Communications Altun stated that units such as the Green Line and the Discrimination Line, which AA has recently incorporated, are also quite valuable and that awareness has been raised in the media through these units.
Director of Communications Altun emphasised that the Agency's photography service is a unit of which they should be envious and proud, stating, "Anadolu Agency, through these photographs, on the one hand, conveys the world public opinion the truth in the most straightforward way possible, while also becoming the voice of Türkiye again for world public opinion. We can see that very powerful content and visuals are being produced.”
Directorate of Communications Altun also stated that digitalisation is a global reality and that the Agency has restructured itself to reflect this reality.
"Anadolu Agency will stand out even more"
Stating that they closely follow and value the Agency's efforts towards internationalisation, Director of Communications Altun continued:
“At this point, Anadolu Agency is not only Türkiye's agency in the new era but also one of the world's most effective agencies. As a result, Anadolu Agency will stand out even more, leaving its competitors in the dust. In this process, our responsibility is to assist Anadolu Agency in these activities and to facilitate its work in accordance with the role assigned to us by our President and in accordance with his instructions and guidance. This is something we strive for. I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations on Anadolu Agency's 103rd anniversary. May our Anadolu Agency's path be prosperous. Hopefully, it will continue to provide much better, more qualified, and more powerful content to Turkish and international media.”
Director of Communications Altun stated that the Agency has 103 years of experience and is the most rooted institution in Turkish media and that it is a very dynamic institution in transferring this knowledge and acquis to the new period.
Altun stated that the Agency also made very valuable contributions in the Century of Türkiye preparation process, referring to the last 20-year period as the preparation period in accordance with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's formulation, and continued:
“With the new units and services it has introduced, and the new steps it has taken in terms of internationalisation, we can see that Anadolu Agency is preparing for the Century of Türkiye, that is, the global system and environment that will be shaped by the great and powerful Türkiye. In this regard, I would like to thank and congratulate particularly our esteemed Director General Serdar Karagöz, as well as all deputy director generals and all of my colleagues at the AA, for their efforts. Hopefully, we will progress to better tomorrows together, and we will build the Century of Türkiye as a whole, hopefully for world peace, world welfare, and world humanity's salvation."
"I honestly cannot pick a single photograph"
When asked which photograph in the exhibition influenced him most, Director of Communications Altun stated that all the photographs were striking and memorable. Director of Communications Altun said, “When I saw the first photo, I said to myself, ‘Unfortunately, Israel's policies have not changed,’ because the exhibition begins in 2012 with a photograph depicting Israeli oppression. Similarly, there are a variety of photographs from Palestine. In today's world, the photographs are truly heartbreaking.”
Noting that there are photographs of sadness, joy, and pride, as well as photographs that demonstrate Türkiye's greatness and the great sacrifices made in the fight against terrorism, Director of Communications Altun stated that sports photographs and photographs depicting unity are particularly striking.
Director of Communications Altun stated that the photograph of a martyr's dog looking at his photograph is heartbreaking and unforgettable, adding, "I honestly cannot pick a single photograph here. This exhibition should be attended by our citizens as well. Let them view these stunning photographs. These are real-life images that do not contain any disinformation. They are telling the truth, the real truth.”
The exhibition will be on display until April 16.
