In the book’s introduction, Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun said, “With the efforts of our Presidency’s Directorate of Communications and soft power elements, Türkiye is endeavouring to better explain itself to the rest of the world, particularly neighbouring countries. As a result of these efforts, there have been significant positive changes in the international public’s perception of our country from the past to the present.”
The book, which will make an essential contribution to the public diplomacy literature within the scope of cultural diplomacy, covers cultural diplomacy with its theoretical and practical dimensions through culture, academia, civil society, media, education, science and humanitarian aid networks.
The book “Cultural Diplomacy and Communication as Türkiye’s Soft Power Instrument” by the Directorate of Communications features examples of cultural diplomacy practices in Türkiye and around the world.
Director of Communications Altun, who penned the book’s introduction, stated that the understanding of public diplomacy has prevailed in the twenty-first century as a result of changing international conditions, digitalisation, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Noting that the primary actors enhancing public diplomacy’s influence are cultural diplomacy and soft power instruments, Director of Communications Altun stated:
“It is critical that countries’ soft power elements be transformed into a communication tool by states so that they appear in the minds of foreign peoples, that they emerge in public in various countries, and that they appear in the media. Türkiye is developing its own soft power in this regard and putting it to use in different geographies. Türkiye has been using soft power in the context of public diplomacy since 2002 and has begun to convey its image more clearly by accelerating its efforts to explain its values, future vision, and cultural traits to the rest of the world. As a result of its public diplomacy initiatives and soft power, Türkiye has been able to shape its own image for the first time. In order to strengthen its regional power and achieve its aim of becoming a global power, Türkiye pursues an efficient public diplomacy policy.”
Türkiye’s recent economic, energy, defence, production, and tourism growth, as well as the development of its relations with the European Union, the Middle East, Turkic Republics, the Balkans, Caucasus, and Afro-Eurasia, have paved the way for our country’s internationalisation. With the efforts of our Presidency’s Directorate of Communications and soft power elements, Türkiye is endeavouring to better explain itself to the rest of the world, particularly neighbouring countries. As a result of these efforts, there have been significant positive changes in the international public’s perception of our country from the past to the present.”
“Cultural diplomacy is a powerful tool in Türkiye’s fight against manipulation and disinformation”
Noting that Türkiye has made an effort to restore wrong, incomplete and faulty perceptions about its public diplomacy efforts at the international level in recent years, Director of Communications Altun stated that all public diplomacy projects and practices of Türkiye have been accelerated and implemented under the guarantorship of the Directorate of Communications.
Director of Communications Altun stated that they actively cooperated with universities, public institutions such as Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency, Yunus Emre Institute, Maarif Foundation, Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities, Presidency of Religious Affairs, Disaster And Emergency Management Presidency, Turkish Red Crescent in order to strengthen Türkiye brand in international public and manage its perception.
Emphasising that Türkiye effectively employed sustainable public diplomacy policies, Director of Communications Altun said that cultural diplomacy activities also empowered the country’s image, reputation and perception in the medium and long term.
Director of Communications Altun pointed out that cultural diplomacy paves the way for Türkiye to reach the international public as it strengthens positive sentiments and thoughts about Türkiye and breaks the negative image, and continued as follows:
“The power of cultural diplomacy to influence the international public in Türkiye’s fight against manipulation and disinformation is a powerful tool for our country. Our state strategically engages with cultural diplomacy efforts and all public institutions and organisations in this vein. Additionally, we are fully aware that the orientalist worldview has historically hurt world politics. The message that all desirable characteristics exist in Western societies, while all undesirable characteristics, chaos, anti-democratic practices, and violations of human and animal rights are experienced in Eastern societies, was manifested worldwide by media through the media contents, series and films produced in this line. Right at this point, Türkiye’s cultural diplomacy efforts are centred on breaking this vicious circle and replacing negative perception with reality. We create our own definitions in international politics and use all available communication means and tactics to transmit our arguments to the international public in opposition to those who desire to confine us to specific patterns. Cultural diplomacy is the most effective tool we have in this setting. Thanks to our cultural diplomacy and soft power elements, we overcame some walls and obstacles that we could not overcome diplomatically by gaining the hearts of the international public, breaking stereotypes and strengthening the dialogue between peoples. We are implementing our cultural diplomacy activities, which we consider an indispensable part of our public diplomacy efforts, as an aspect of the “Communication Mobilization” initiated by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in various geographies and for various publics under the coordination of our Presidency’s Directorate of Communications.”
Reminding that with the “National Public Diplomacy Strategy Document and Action Plan” they prepared, Türkiye’s soft power was implemented more actively than ever before, Director of Communications Altun said, “In this document, we have clearly laid out our strategy on cultural diplomacy and ensured the unity of discourse and action of our state. I hope that “Cultural Diplomacy and Communication as Türkiye’s Soft Power Instrument” will serve as a source for empirical and theoretical studies on public diplomacy, soft power and cultural diplomacy.”