Speaking at the TRT International Children's Media Summit titled "Children’s Media in the Digital Era: Empowering Families, Building Values," the Presidency's Head of Communications, Burhanettin Duran, recalled the extensive efforts exerted under the leadership of President Erdoğan to safeguard children from digital threats.
Head of Communications Duran expressed his hope that the summit would generate fresh ideas for children's future, adding that children represent the purest and most innocent form of humanity and that prioritising them above all else, as well as protecting them from material and moral dangers, is essential for preserving both the past and the future.
Noting that children today are born into a digital world, Head of Communications Duran said, "According to TURKSTAT's 'A Snapshot on Statistics on Children in Türkiye 2024' report, under the 'Child and Information and Communication Technology' section, the internet usage rate of our children in the 6-10 age group was reported as 87.9 per cent. This data shows that our children are not only born into a digital world but will also be a digital generation."
Head of Communications Duran pointed out that children do not learn about the world solely from their families, schools, or surroundings and, continued as follows:
"They obtain so much in the digital world. Social platforms, digital games, and audiovisual content have now become increasingly influential in children's learning and socialisation processes. Indeed, these do present opportunities, but from a different angle, they also present risks. When it comes to children, it is evident that these challenges become far more critical. Consequently, this also reveals what truly needs to be done. We must guide our children in the right direction, enable them to benefit from the opportunities offered by digital media, and raise their awareness of the potential harms as well."
Highlighting that it is impossible to escape or avoid screens, yet a delicate balance is necessary, Head of Communications Duran echoed First Lady Emine Erdoğan's call: "Let us at last rescue our children from these digital nannies."
"Families must be closely aware of who the digital nannies are"
Head of Communications Duran stated that this call serves as a benchmark for how everyone should approach television and digital media and went on to say:
"We must be closely aware of who and what these digital nannies are. These must be digital nannies that teach our children the values of humanity, virtue, and moral principles. These must be digital nannies who teach them the values of our culture and civilisation, facilitating this manner of socialisation. Otherwise, we may find ourselves confronted with these digital nannies introducing entirely different values, unfamiliar traits, and elements that we do not desire at all into our children's world, which are detrimental to our families. Therefore, I would like to reiterate the call of our esteemed First Lady. Families, please protect your children and be closely aware of who the digital nannies are."
Noting that families bear significant responsibilities, Head of Communications Duran said, "With the digitalisation of media consumption, algorithms have now assumed a critical role. Through algorithmic steering, entirely unforeseen factors can transmit subliminal messages into our children's world. As a result, this can erode our children's interpersonal communication skills and make them rather introverted. It can cause attention deficit disorder and, more dangerously, psychological, moral, and cognitive development may be severely impared. Therefore, there is much to be done to protect our children's character and shield them from all forms of violent or sexual content in media broadcasts and posts."
Head of Communications Duran emphasised that cartoons and other cultural elements from very different cultures are being introduced into children's world children globally, but these should not be deviant trends that legitimise violence, saying, "We must prepare our children against the risk of the blurring of the distinction between natural and forced, reality and fiction, and the normalisation of deviance and violence. This is a shared responsibility for all of us. Particularly, families—mothers and fathers—have the greatest responsibility."
"We strive to guide our children towards a safer future in the digital sphere"
Head of Communications Duran recalled that, under the leadership of President Erdoğan, they exerted extensive efforts to safeguard children from digital threats and added:
"In this framework, a comprehensive roadmap was prepared with the Türkiye Child Rights Strategy Document and Action Plan for 2023-2028. Subsequently, we implemented the Empowering Children in the Digital World Action Plan for 2025-2029. Our President signed the Children's Rights in the Digital World Convention. The First Lady likewise endorsed this digital convention, offering substantial support in this context. We have also made this convention, drafted under our nation's leadership, open for signature internationally. The 13-article convention aims to make our children's digital rights visible, expose threats, call on society to take responsibility, and raise international awareness. As Türkiye, we strive to guide our children towards a safer future in the digital sphere."
Head of Communications Duran stated that TRT, through its TV channels, digital platforms, and international events, provide valuable projects for children. He noted that TRT Çocuk, TRT Diyanet Çocuk, and tabii Çocuk are trusted brands for children and that the TRT has established itself as a strong hub in children's media.
Stating that great efforts are being made to protect children through the work of relevant state institutions, media, and non-governmental organisations, Head of Communications Duran emphasised the importance of protecting children's privacy and the need for greater awareness to ensure that families' posts on digital platforms are not used for malicious purposes.
In addition, Head of Communications Duran shared a post on his NSocial account regarding the summit.
Head of Communications Burhanettin Duran stated in his post that the summit would be a vital step towards creating a safer and more mindful media environment for our children and added:
"On a global scale, certain cartoons and productions created for children depict violence as a solution, while deviant movements are portrayed as rational. As Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we are vigorously combating all threats to safeguard our children, particularly those posed by digital perils. In this framework, we have developed a comprehensive roadmap with the Türkiye Child Rights Strategy Document and Action Plan for 2023-2028."
