Director of Communications Altun said, "I believe that the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighbourliness has marked the beginning of a new page in our relations. This common will, I believe, will open up many opportunities for cooperation based on mutual trust, which will benefit our countries and our region."
Presidency's Director of Communications, Fahrettin Altun, sent a video message to the Turkish-Greek Media and Academy Forum, which was organised jointly by the Foundation for Türkiye Studies and the Institute of Global Affairs in Athens.
Referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's official visit to Athens on December 7 as part of the High-Level Cooperation Council Meeting, Altun said:
"I believe that the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighbourliness has marked the beginning of a new page in our relations. This common will, I believe, will open up many opportunities for cooperation based on mutual trust, which will benefit our countries and our region. We, the Republic of Türkiye, believe that there are no issues that cannot be resolved with our close neighbours, such as Greece, with whom we share a common history and similar culture."
Director of Communications Altun expressed his delight to see numerous opportunities and prospects to expand bilateral cooperation between Türkiye and Greece in a variety of fields, including the economy, trade, transportation, energy, health, technology, education, and youth. Altun also stressed that members of the media, academics, and representatives of non-governmental organisations have significant duties and responsibilities to ensure that communication channels between the two countries remain open.
Director of Communications Altun noted, "As you will appreciate, there has been an effort in recent years to discredit and remove from the agenda many ethical principles and established rules in the field of communication and media. We must develop a new approach in the field of communication and media, taking the side of truth against such attempts to sever the bonds of Türkiye, Greece, and even global public opinion with the truth, the right, the moral, and the humanitarian."
Director of Communications Altun stated that the events in Gaza have once again demonstrated how destructive the untruthful and manipulative media content to which the public has been exposed is and can be for humanity. Altun also indicated that, for a more democratic, fair and peaceful world, verifying the credibility of the news that circulates and revealing the truth in all its clarity is an extremely important issue.
Director of Communications Altun continued as follows: "Governments play an important role in removing harmful content from communication channels, such as systematic disinformation, misinformation, smear campaigns, hate speech, and terrorist propaganda. Türkiye has managed to defeat many disinformation campaigns in its fight against such problems."
Director of Communications Altun stated that the Presidency's Directorate of Communications has carried out and will continue to carry out an effective fight against disinformation through the "Centre for Combating Disinformation" established within the Presidency's Directorate of Communications and added, "For example, in this context, we exposed to the world the media lies that Israel spread simultaneously with its attacks on civilians in Gaza. We have thus ensured that the truth is revealed, allowing the world public to better understand the injustices and inhumane treatment endured by the Palestinian people."
Director of Communications Altun continued as follows: "As Türkiye, we want it to be known that we consistently maintain a sincere approach and highly appreciate any endeavours that are made to foster cooperation and friendship.
In this regard, we will continue to promote the strengthening of dialogue bridges between our media representatives, academic communities, and non-governmental organisations. We believe that this structure, which we will build together, will also serve as a model for the surrounding geography and significantly contribute to the stability of our region."