Presidency's Director of Communications Altun stated, "In an age of global chaos, Türkiye, as a stabilising power, is also the defender of rights, law and truth in the communication sphere."
Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun made remarks regarding the fight against disinformation through communication activities during the Century of Türkiye to the Çerçeve magazine published by Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MUSİAD).
Director of Communications Altun stressed that the new media had the potential to both positively and negatively affect wider audiences in much less time than traditional media and stated that disinformation and manipulation grew exponentially during a time when digitalisation and social media usage accelerated as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Director of Communications Altun underlined that disinformation and manipulation as global communication issues were strongly tied to asymmetric warfare, digital psychological warfare, the persuasion industry, the engineering of consent, and mass communication, adding, "In line with the 21st-century communication practises, technology is the most influential actor during the implementation phase of disinformation and manipulation. Especially with the online news media, even if the news on various topics are faulty, erroneous, or completely false, once published to websites and shared on social media accounts, they affect large crowds and hold captive the feelings and views of individuals."
Director of Communications Altun emphasised that even though information, news, narratives, and policies presented as true turn out to be false in the short and medium term, the initial effect and the ability to mislead the masses allowed fake content to replace the truth and noted that disinformation content replacing the truth reached the potential to threaten the truth in almost every field, including politics, journalism, tourism, culture, economy, transportation, security, health, education, and sports.
Director of Communications Altun stated that in the post-truth era, disinformation could be characterised as the continuation of malicious politics in the communication realm; thus, disinformation is more than a campaign to mislead the public and distort information.
Stating that the aims and results of disinformation, particularly in the new digital era, grew to the point where they may endanger a country and society by extending beyond these boundaries, Director of Communications Altun said, "Therefore, the measures to be taken in the fight against disinformation must demonstrate the determination and consistency required by war. Fake news is one of the most functional apparatuses of the disinformation and manipulation process. Recent studies also determined that users exhibit a sceptical approach towards the news in the online news media and social media."
Considerations in the identification of fake news
Director of Communications Altun outlined the steps and considerations that users of new media should take in order to identify fake news as follows:
"It is necessary to verify the same news from multiple reputable sources in order to ensure the accuracy of any news.
What or who is the news source should be investigated in detail.
A critical and sceptical attitude should be taken towards the news.
The date of publication of the news should be checked. It must not be forgotten that the day and time of fake news can be easily altered.
One should act with the understanding that the news shared on social media will cause provocations. The sociological, psychological, economic and cultural damage that these posts can cause should be taken into account.
It should be remembered that users bear legal responsibility for their social media posts, and they should act with this awareness.
Users must ensure that their activities, content, and posts on social media do not infringe on the rights and freedoms of others.
Visual manipulation is frequently used in social media. Because of this, it is important to check the date when identifying fake news by searching for fictionalised images in search engines.
Sources spreading fake news may use fake websites. Therefore, it is beneficial to verify the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the news."
"Disinformation and manipulation is a national security problem for states in the 21st century"
Pointing out that, due to its aim to become a global actor and regional power, Türkiye frequently encountered disinformation campaigns and perception management operations, which constituted a communication problem at the international level and turned into a struggle for power between states, Director of Communications Altun continued:
"As a country that makes its own definitions, implements its own policies, vision, and agenda instead of a Western-centred political, economic, and cultural perspective, and disrupts the games that are being attempted to be played on its own geography, Türkiye is exposed to manipulative news and content from both domestic and international sources via the new media. In an age of global chaos, Türkiye, as a stabilising power, is also the defender of rights, law and truth in the communication sphere. It is undeniable that the internet, new communication technologies and digital platforms constitute a significant part of our daily lives. I must state clearly and unequivocally that we regard disinformation and manipulation as a national security problem for states in the 21st century."
Noting that we have reached an era, known as "post-truth," characterised by information wars, the Director of Communications Altun stated that they were intensifying their fight for the truth against digital lies and disinformation in this age where information is poisoned.
Underlining that as the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, they were exerting every effort to convey the true, fundamental, and shared story of Türkiye to all stakeholders and diverse public opinions during the "Communication Campaign" initiated by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Director of Communications Altun said, "Our vision of the Century of Türkiye also includes the perspective of the 'Century of Communication'. In this regard, we strengthen the 'Türkiye' brand within the framework of the 'Türkiye's Communication Model', activate our positive communication agenda, and as the Directorate of Communications, we coordinate public institutions in the fight against systematic disinformation in the national and international arena."
"We have to reveal the truth"
Noting that as the Directorate, they have brought together the efforts of Türkiye within the scope of combating disinformation in the national and international arena under the umbrella of the Centre for Combating Disinformation, Director of Communications Altun said:
"We will continue to build resistance against disinformation and manipulation and play a crucial role in the fight for the truth across all media platforms where systematic disinformation attacks occur. We will continue to fight for the truth using next-generation methods and mechanisms against all actors and figures who attempt to conceal their lack of politics with lies and black propaganda because we have to reveal the truth in order to raise awareness so that inaccurate information and content disseminated on social media does not turn into the propaganda that poisons perceptions.
The law on 'Combating Disinformation', on which our relevant institutions have worked meticulously for a long time, has recently been enacted in the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and entered into force. Posts meant to promote hatred and violence and deliberately mislead our nation have been included in the scope of crime. Internet media has also gained a legal basis with the law, founded on safeguarding our children, our future, from the negativities and threats of the digital age. Organisations broadcasting on the internet were included in the scope of the Press Law and gained new rights."
Director of Communications Altun emphasised that regulations have been made with the Law on Combating Disinformation based on the rule of law in various areas, from abuses to violations of rights in the internet media and social networks, from the individual's rights to national and state security.
Stating that disinformation, also a global threat, necessitated a global struggle, the Director of Communications Altun emphasised the need for a series of regulations through international legal mechanisms within a democratic framework.
Pointing out that for this reason, it was essential to use international law effectively and implement legal measures concurrently for combating disinformation and manipulation campaigns, Director of Communications Altun said that states, technology companies and international organisations should act together and meet on common ground in the fight against disinformation, which turned into a global security threat.
"We regard combating disinformation as a national duty"
Director of Communications Altun stated that they increased awareness with new steps and training programmes on media literacy, digital media literacy and information literacy as an umbrella concept in combating disinformation.
"As the Directorate of Communications, we see it as a national duty to combat disinformation that threatens our national security. We will continue to fight relentlessly in coordination with all our public institutions and organisations against the disinformation mechanism that challenges us. While acting on its own right and account at home and abroad, Türkiye will always stand on the side of the truth in the fight against the disinformation campaigns that we are subjected to as a country and derive its power from the pure and unsullied truth, without resorting to disinformation to counteract disinformation under any circumstance and condition. We will make Türkiye the epicentre of truth-oriented information on a regional and global level."