The new season of Türkiye’s international digital platform, tabii, was introduced at an event held at Rixos Tersane İstanbul with the theme, "With tabii, you are at home and it is worth your time."
Attending the launch event, the Presidency’s Head of Communications, Burhanettin Duran, said that TRT is a key institution contributing to the “Century of Türkiye” vision declared by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, adding that he considers tabii’s world as Türkiye’s world.
Head of Communications Duran emphasised that Türkiye’s unique stories have been brought to life through numerous productions on the tabii platform, stating, “We are fulfilling an important mission. In my view, this is not an ordinary launch. As we see the productions, we will repeatedly understand how much effort has gone into them and how important a mission is being fulfilled."
“We are experiencing a unique convergence of the local and the universal”
Referring to President Erdoğan’s remarks about tabii, Head of Communications Duran stated, “When we speak of Türkiye, we refer to a place where East meets West, North meets South, and where culture is once again synthesised on this land. We are, therefore, experiencing a truly unique convergence of the local and the universal. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of you who contribute to TRT and tabii’s productions.”
Head of Communications Duran also noted that in many parts of the world, phones ring to the music of Diriliş Ertuğrul, and that Turkish cultural productions resonate across geographies, with actors in Turkish productions becoming widely recognised worldwide.
Highlighting that there are shared values and emotions that belong to all humanity, Head of Communications Duran said:
“The experiences of a mother, an individual, or someone who has been subjected to oppression can, of course, be conveyed to the entire world. Just as productions portraying the genocide in Gaza speak to all humanity, so too are productions reflecting our shared pain and concerns immensely valuable. We hope to see more such productions from TRT and tabii. We must produce universal content that embraces all humanity, standing apart from a culture that feeds on extremism, seeks to normalise perversion, and undermines family values. We have the means to achieve this. It is the world of tabii that clearly shows us we have this potential and how rich we truly are."
“We must produce content that embraces all humanity, grounded in our own values”
Commenting also on international platforms, Head of Communications Duran stated, “The cultural impositions once carried out through cinema, newspapers, and television now continue in digital spaces through different means. We cannot remain indifferent to this accumulation of content produced globally, but we also cannot remain passive consumers of it. Therefore, with this awareness, we need to create productions that embrace all humanity, grounded in our own values. Through its dedicated efforts, tabii also stands against the cultural hegemony imposed by certain circles around the world. But this is not a mere act of resistance. It is also an approach that challenges, creates its own productions, and embraces the rest of humanity.”
Drawing a parallel between the platform’s success and Türkiye’s achievements in recent years, Head of Communications Duran said, “Just as Türkiye strives to contribute to peace, stability, and security both in its region and globally, just as our President and his team act as mediators to defuse conflicts in various international crises, in a similar way, our cultural community is creating productions that speak to the world. Of course, this is first and foremost for us. But tabii is not only for us—it is, in fact, for everyone."
"Being the voice of humanity and speaking for peace, stability, and prosperity are of immense value"
Head of Communications Duran pointed out that the world has been going through an increasingly uncertain and conflict-ridden period over the past decade: “In such a world, being the voice of humanity, advocating peace, stability and prosperity, and emphasising coexistence, human dignity, and brotherhood are of immense value. At the same time, this is a world of competition. You are far more knowledgeable than I am about how certain algorithms steer digital platforms."
Emphasising that TV series, films, and cinemas are far from innocent and can carry entirely different messages, Head of Communications Duran continued his remarks as follows:
“An example I will mention here is how the reality of Palestine has been attempted to be crushed between the gears of Israel’s influence industry. Thankfully, the Palestinian cause can no longer be concealed through manipulation; it has resonated deeply with the world’s conscience, though at a tremendous cost. Only after more than 60,000 Palestinians faced genocide did many world leaders finally grasp the reality. Of course, the people realised this much earlier. I sincerely hope this experience will be carried into the future and contribute to building a fairer world.”
"tabii platform is a symbol of our cultural resistance"
Head of Communications Duran shared a post on his social media account regarding the New Season Launch of tabii, the digital platform of TRT.
In his post, Head of Communications Duran stated:
“I was pleased to attend the New Season Launch of TRT’s digital platform tabii.
Today, digital platforms have become a stage for cultural competition on a global scale. In this competition, we are advancing with an approach that places the human being at its centre and upholds cultural diversity and truth.
Guided by self-confidence, we are striving to build a better, richer, and more beautiful cultural world through interaction with different cultures.
As our President underlined, 'A culture lacking wisdom is nothing more than drudgery.' Likewise, a cultural understanding deprived of morality can only lead to degeneration. Yet the purpose of art and culture is to elevate human beings to intellectual and moral maturity.’
Guided by this vision, we are fulfilling a humanitarian responsibility by integrating our production and broadcasting ecosystem with intellectual and moral foundations, as well as the opportunities offered by the digital realm.
Our international digital broadcasting platform, tabii, which was launched two and a half years ago entirely with national and domestic resources under TRT, is not merely a digital platform but also the voice of our civilisation and a symbol of our cultural resistance, with its original, fair and human-centred content.
Playing a key role in conveying the narrative of our civilisation and culture, tabii also stands against attempts at digital monopolisation.
I believe that Türkiye’s international digital platform will continue to stand as a refreshing refuge in an increasingly desolate digital content landscape, thanks to its family-oriented productions.
With these sentiments, I extend my gratitude to everyone who has contributed to tabii—the pride of our country—and wish the new season to bring prosperity to our country, to our cultural realm, to the TRT tabii Family, and to all its viewers.”
