Head of Communications Altun said, "Unfortunately, there are those all over the world who try to hide the truth and those who remain silent when it comes to the truth. We must stand by the truth at all costs and fight with all our might against attempts to eradicate it."
Presidency's Head of Communications Fahrettin Altun, speaking at the launch event of the TRT Persian Digital News Platform held at a hotel, expressed his wishes for the newly launched news platform to have a successful journey and bring benefits to the country, the nation, and humanity.
Recalling Saadi Shirazi's words, "To remain silent when words are needed is torment to the soul. If we choose silence, we commit an injustice to humanity and the very essence of the human spirit," Head of Communications Altun emphasised that today is the time to proclaim the truth with a powerful voice and to assert it on every platform.
Altun said, "Unfortunately, there are those all over the world who try to hide the truth and those who remain silent when it comes to the truth. We must stand by the truth at all costs and fight with all our might against attempts to eradicate it. Failing to speak the truth, as Saadi Shirazi said, is indeed a torment to the soul; it darkens the spirit and is an oppression to humanity. The greatest torment is not merely failing to speak the truth or remaining silent in the face of it, but deliberately making an effort to conceal the truth. Unfortunately, today, certain power centres in the world are working with all their might to conceal and distort the truth."
Drawing attention to Türkiye's struggle for truth under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Altun emphasised that TRT Persian Digital News Platform is a product of commitment to the truth and the struggle for it. Stating that TRT's digital platforms have millions of followers today, TRT French, TRT Balkan, TRT Spanish, and TRT Africa reached 11 billion views in 2024, Altun congratulated everyone who contributed to this success.
"Establishing a channel of interaction between the two ancient peoples of the world is vital"
Altun stated that TRT has recently become a hub of attraction in the field of broadcasting, growing day by day in line with Türkiye's regional and global role and asserting itself more ambitiously. He continued his remarks as follows:
"The establishment of TRT Persian is important for our country, our region, and humanity. We are talking about broadcasting in Persian, which is such a rich language. Existing, publishing, and producing content in this rich cultural climate is undoubtedly a service to world culture and humanity. Establishing a channel of direct interaction and communication between the two ancient peoples of the region as well as the world is vital. This interaction has existed throughout history. Although there have been attempts to disrupt the spirit of this interaction in the modern era, the existence of the interaction between these two ancient peoples has continued strongly. Even just Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi's Divan-i Kebir shows us how strong this interaction is."
Head of Communications Altun pointed out that musician Sedat Anar, who participated in the program, described the interaction between the two ancient cultures in his memoir "Sokakname."
"TRT Persian also has a goal of strengthening regional stability"
Stating that TRT Persian has been established in this vibrant cultural environment and has undertaken a historical mission in this respect, Altun continued as follows:
"First and foremost, TRT Persian sets out to provide a flow of information to the Persian-speaking regions. It also aims to strengthen and further develop cultural ties between the countries of the region. TRT Persian also has a goal of strengthening regional stability and is one of the concrete examples of building genuine dialogue channels. TRT Persian is emerging as a reliable media source in Persian-speaking regions. It is institutionalising to become a reference point.
Of course, along with all this, we have another goal here. To break the information monopoly and disinformation potential of Western centres around the world. This is a threat facing humanity today. Western news centres have a monopoly on information that they impose on humanity worldwide, while on the other hand, there is also a potential for disinformation. We need to eliminate this monopoly, this potential, and this danger, and we need to fight against it. We think this struggle is a service to humanity. Western media outlets and the power elites behind them are fostering and exacerbating the crisis of truth all over the world in order to worsen global injustice.
Referring to Iranian writer Jalal Al Ahmad's book "Gharbzadegi," which was translated into English as "Weststruckness," Head of Communications Altun noted that Ahmad talked about how two ancient cultures could not speak to each other in this book. Head of Communications Altun said, "Jalal Al Ahmad discusses the case of an Iranian and an Afghan, and how they talk through Western countries, for example. An Afghan, sharing our religion, language, and nationality, complains that 'we do not know anything about each other' and discusses the monopoly of knowledge established by Western dominance. Indeed, this monopoly of knowledge is, unfortunately, the problem we face in the modern world today. We view all our efforts and the work we have accomplished in the realm of communication in Türkiye as our endeavour to dismantle this monopoly above all else."
"We see that they can offer nothing but selling hope to the non-Western world"
Referring to the insights of the late sociologist Erol Güngör regarding this matter, the Head of Communications Altun noted that Güngör identified the initial task in assessing developments in the region as "thoroughly eliminating the preconceived notions and erroneous ideas that Westerners and certain local intellectuals misled by them have long embedded in minds."
The Head of Communications, Altun, noted:
"Humanity today indeed suffers from prejudices and erroneous ideas. Unfortunately, stereotypes and preconceived notions produced by the Western world are disseminated to the non-Western world via Western media sources, and they are circulated among non-Western cultures as negative images and perceptions about each other. As we reflect on the modern world, the history of wars, colonisation, and the associated pain and turmoil, we see that Western nations and advocates of Western influence provide little to humanity. They can offer nothing but selling hope to the non-Western world."
Head of Communication Altun stated that they are trying to put forth their best efforts in this major strategic struggle, highlighting that Türkiye's Communication Model is an institutionalised model within this context.
"We strive to enhance and strengthen the relations between the two brotherly countries"
Emphasising that TRT, Anadolu Agency, and the Turkish media have conducted important work in this context, the Head of Communications Altun continued:
"Another important aspect of TRT Persian is that it would help improve relations between the region's two oldest countries, Türkiye and Iran. The economic trade data between the two oldest countries of this region, the current tourism indicators and statistics, and the collaborative cultural and artistic projects developed are all tangible expressions of this longstanding relationship. We can provide various other tangible examples in numerous fields.
2025 marks the Year of Cultural Cooperation between Türkiye and Iran, and it is significant that TRT Persian was established and began broadcasting just before this year. We are committed to maintaining the high quality of cooperation and coordination in our bilateral relationships in the media and communication sector. Although feudal communication networks, as Galton describes them, may try to undermine and manipulate our efforts, we remain committed to deepening and strengthening the relations between the two brotherly countries, regardless of the challenges we face. We do not allow the efforts of these feudal communication networks to contribute to any form of discord. Because we face common threats. Today, in our region, there exists a policy of occupation and exploitation aimed at all Muslims, the entire Muslim world, and humanity through Israel. We must unite in our efforts to confront this policy of occupation and exploitation, standing together against this common threat."
"We must never allow terrorist propaganda"
Emphasising that strategic collaborations in the field of communication and media should be established and that some risks should be taken into consideration, especially in content production, Head of Communications Altun said: "We should stay away from divisive and polarising rhetoric under any circumstances. We must never resort to disinformation. It is crucial to recognise that there are significant efforts to influence the societies and cultures of this region through disinformation. We must never allow terrorist propaganda. It is crucial that we advance with a mindful broadcasting strategy to address these three threats."
Underscoring the significant efforts behind the emergence of TRT Persian, Head of Communications Altun concluded his remarks as follows:
"We hope that TRT Persian acts as a bridge of peace and dialogue between our peoples; it serves humanity, contributing to peace, calm, stability, and prosperity while also promoting culture alongside its accurate and timely news. I am hopeful that it will showcase our cultural richness and shared human values to the entire world, expand the message, and present the truth in a compelling manner."
