The Presidency's Head of Communications, Burhanettin Duran, penned an article titled "2nd Communication Council and Türkiye's New Communication Vision on the Axis of Digital Sovereignty" for Anadolu Agency (AA).
Head of Communications Duran's Article
Media technologies permeate all facets of our lives, with an influence extending from the individual to the family and from local to global spheres. This dynamic correlation attributed the definition of "century of communication" to our current era. To exist in the century of communication, one must recognise psychosocial and cultural reflections and be aware of the opportunities and risks associated with these practical technologies while correctly managing the paradoxical nature of this process. Because techno-capitalism, which evolves on the axes of digital sovereignty and algorithmic steering, is prompting comprehensive transformations in the fields of communication and media while constructing narratives that "control us" and assuming the position of the "subject" that governs our consciousness, perception, and conscience.
Today, we live in an era when finding "meaning and truth" is increasingly difficult. We are witnessing reality being reconstructed again and again through deepfake content, filter bubbles, and echo chambers. At the same time, this historical turning point is marked not only by a crisis in the international system, but also by the profound erosion of the institutions, norms, and shared values that have long underpinned its legitimacy.
With these considerations, on 28-29 July, following a lengthy preparation process, the Directorate of Communications held the 2nd Communication Council to update Türkiye's communication strategy and outline its future roadmap. Within the framework of the Council, we engaged in comprehensive discussions to identify the challenges of the world we currently live in, to consolidate our county's strengths, and to address shortcomings.
With Türkiye's Century of Communication vision, we prioritise making communication policies an integral part of our national capacity. In line with the motto "the Century of Türkiye, the Century of Communication," Türkiye today is a country that not only manages crises but also contributes to shaping the international agenda.
In the Century of Communication, our primary objectives include enhancing Türkiye's institutional capacity in the field of communication and combating disinformation, which is an asymmetric factor threatening democracies, while also fostering an awareness against this threat. For in the new narrative age driven by artificial intelligence, disinformation has become a "force of deterrence." Combating all forms of disinformation has become a matter of national security for countries in terms of democracy and social harmony.
The conflicts of our decade are no longer confined to the battlefields; rather, they are now also waged in the vastness of screens and on digital platforms. I would like to introduce to our readers the framework and the declaration of our Communication Council, which also highlighted the necessity of a new understanding of communication that will restore trust among nations, preserve the truth, and strengthen humanity’s common conscience once again.
Strategic Collective Wisdom in Communication Ecosystem: 2nd Communication Council
The first Communication Council, held 23 years ago in 2003, provided a forum for productive discussions at a time when media and communication were being restructured in conjunction with the spread of the internet. Over the years, there was a growing need for a comprehensive platform that would bring together all stakeholders in the communication sector, examine the transformations extending from the individual to society and international relations in tandem with the advancement of emerging technologies, and provide a new vision for the communication ecosystem.
In response to this necessity, we began preparations for the Council in 2025. The 2nd Communication Council Preparatory Workshop brought together 425 communication experts and professionals to establish the intellectual foundations of the council. The workshop, which gathered all actors within the communication sector from public institutions, universities, the media, the private sector, and the NGOs, assembled working groups across 16 distinct fields. The discussions featured current status assessments, analyses, effective solution proposals, and new policies on numerous topics, including strategic communication, artificial intelligence, combating disinformation, public diplomacy, crisis management, media policies, and digital transformation. The outcomes of these efforts were documented in a report, culminating in the preparation of a Final Declaration that sets out the cornerstones of our communication vision.
We held the 2nd Communication Council on 28-29 July 2026. At the Council, which was opened with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the workshop reports were presented to the public during panel sessions. Moreover, the books "2nd Communication Council: Reports" and "2nd Communication Council: Invited Papers" were made available to readers during the programme.
Policy Roadmap of the 2nd Communication Council: Final Declaration
The Final Declaration of the 2nd Communication Council is a detailed guide that will shape Türkiye's future vision, strengthen our country's national and international communication capacity, and turn theoretical discussions into concrete policy proposals. The Declaration summarises Türkiye's communication roadmap for the 21st century along four main axes: institutional, educational, legal, and strategic. In this period, when disinformation has become a national security threat, artificial intelligence has deepened social polarisation, and the power of communication has shifted to the centre of geopolitical competition, the Declaration proclaims that Türkiye is transitioning to an institutionalised and proactive communication model based on the triad of "truth, trust, and impact."
The ideas, findings, and proposals regarding the various dimensions of communication within the Declaration are summarised as follows:
Strategic Communication
It is critical that a joint strategic communication working group, to be established under the coordination of the Directorate of Communications, defines in advance clear authorities, responsibilities, and approval processes for crisis situations. This group should produce data-based content in line with the principles of proactivity, consistency, and transparency in addressing hybrid threats and international crises and should make safe and effective use of artificial intelligence technologies in analytical processes. To strengthen the strategic communication narrative, it is essential to position international students in Türkiye as communication ambassadors, enhance international academic cooperation, support the visibility of Turkish academic publications, and develop a system that can serve as a global reference in this field.
Political Communication
Another issue of critical importance is that efforts should be conducted on a data-driven basis, sociological changes and transformations should be taken into consideration, and a strategic, proactive approach should be adopted to effectively manage possible crises. In this context, the need to make the most of the structural opportunities created by the digitalisation process in the field of political communication is emphasised, while taking proactive measures against the new-generation risks and threats that this process may create is also highlighted as a major necessity.
Public diplomacy
Among the fundamental requirements are establishing strong cooperation among the public, the private sector, local administrations, and civil society organisations, as well as ensuring that activities are fully aligned with Türkiye's foreign policy through effective narrative strategies. In this regard, it is anticipated that Türkiye's international broadcasting potential will be developed in public diplomacy processes that should be impact-orientated and network-based and that soft power elements like cultural, sporting, scientific, and humanitarian activities will be addressed on a periodic and thematic basis through a multilingual narrative strategy. In addition, it is considered a major necessity to establish mechanisms that systematically measure the effectiveness of ongoing activities through artificial intelligence and new media technologies while transforming strategies aimed at strengthening the Türkiye brand into a concrete action plan and a "country branding strategy document".
Journalism and combating disinformation
It has also been demonstrated that the awareness of media professionals should be enhanced through training based on the experience of the Centre for Combating Disinformation (DMM), while verification mechanisms within news processes should be further strengthened. In this process, training programmes promoting the conscious, safe, and responsible use of artificial intelligence should be expanded to include media and digital literacy, verification, copyright, and digital ethics, while a "Türkiye Media Database" should also be established through stakeholder cooperation to support domestic artificial intelligence technologies.
While preparing national digital disaster scenarios against digital crises, cyber threats, and information pollution is considered important, digital tools should be used in accordance with journalistic principles such as accuracy, on-the-spot observation, source diversity, and public interest, while news production should be freed from the pressure of clickbait and quality field reporting should be supported. Furthermore, making legislative arrangements for the legal status of freelance media workers, protecting conventional media through joint projects, improving content accessibility standards for people with disabilities, and combating pirated broadcasting are all critical steps.
Encouraging high-quality television content aligned with Türkiye's national identity, rather than driven by ratings concerns, and enabling Türkiye to tell its own story to the world through domestically produced projects emerge as complementary components of this holistic strategy.
Public relations
The standardisation of professional terminology and the promotion of the widespread use of common concepts and terminology are important for ensuring cohesion across the sector. Accordingly, public relations will be recognised as a strategic management function within organisations and will be effectively incorporated into organisational decision-making mechanisms.
As the wider adoption of digital transformation and artificial intelligence applications is envisaged to enhance efficiency in public relations processes, preserving a human-centred approach to communication should be regarded as a delicate balance that must be maintained. To develop a highly qualified workforce in this field, institutionalising collaboration among universities, the public sector, and the private sector is an indispensable step towards building a sustainable sectoral ecosystem.
Digitalisation
It is essential that Türkiye's digital transformation process be conducted within the framework of a holistic national strategy in which the public sector, academia, the private sector, and civil society share responsibility, and their respective roles are clearly defined. In this context, ensuring that communication law aligns with digital transformation through collaboration among public institutions, the judiciary, academia, the media, and the technology sector is critical. Furthermore, while maintaining an appropriate balance among personality rights, freedom of expression, and the public interest, the "right to be forgotten" should be established within a clear, enforceable legal framework.
At the societal level, key priorities include strengthening digital parenting, ensuring children's access to safe, age-appropriate content, and promoting digital media literacy. It has become imperative to establish regulatory frameworks governing the use of artificial intelligence and digital platforms based on the principles of transparency, accountability, and the protection of individual rights, as well as to prepare a national strategy document addressing both individuals and society and to establish permanent coordination mechanisms.
Crisis communication
In accordance with the Türkiye Disaster Response Plan (TAMP), it is imperative to strengthen the central role of the TAMP Communication Group in official public communication during disasters and crises. To this end, a standing "Disaster Communication Advisory Council" should be established to facilitate continuous inter-institutional coordination, and a clear separation should be maintained between disaster response teams and the bodies responsible for disaster communication. Preventive measures against disinformation during disasters should be developed in advance of crises, and the "Disaster Broadcasting Standard" should be updated to ensure that only qualified and accredited individuals are featured across media platforms.
While proactive administrative and legal measures should be enforced rigorously against online mob behaviour, perception operations, and manipulation that threaten social solidarity, "institutional verification mechanisms" should be established as a mandatory professional standard to counter the media's pressure to "publish first." Furthermore, in high-risk areas where digital access is limited, face-to-face awareness-raising activities, along with alternative announcement and local radio systems, should be planned in advance of a disaster; "Disaster Journalism Accreditation and Training Programmes" that take into account the traumatic circumstances and privacy of disaster victims must be introduced as a matter of urgency.
Communication training
It would be highly beneficial to expand long-term internship programmes that enable students in the final year of the faculties of communication to spend their final semester directly in the industry, while also enhancing employment opportunities for graduates in the public sector. Updating the curricula of faculties of communication in line with digitalisation processes is of great importance for adapting the educational infrastructure to the requirements of the modern age. In order to raise digital awareness across society, making media literacy a core and compulsory course not only in the field of communication but across all university programmes stands out as an indispensable step towards building a sustainable media ecosystem.
Cinema, TV series, films
It is envisaged that cinema policies will be developed in line with evolving technological and sociological conditions and that efforts to expand national cinema platforms for research, archiving, restoration, and sectoral data sharing will be encouraged. Supporting co-productions, festivals and global collaborations is important in order to enhance the sector’s potential for internationalisation. Furthermore, a comprehensive “Communication Strategy Document” based on domestic and national values should be prepared in line with the Century of Türkiye vision to counter the international monopolisation of content and cultural hegemony. In this context, encouraging the production of films, television series, animations and documentaries that establish a stronger connection with audiences, feature natural and original storytelling, and reflect cultural heritage, family values and collective memory is a critical step.
Encouraging the establishment of large-scale television and film production complexes in the designated target provinces to enhance Türkiye’s content production capacity and strengthening these complexes through support mechanisms that will contribute to regional tourism have been adopted as a holistic cultural development strategy.
As can be seen, the Final Declaration of the 2nd Communication Council serves, in every one of its articles, as a guide and roadmap for bringing the motto "Century of Türkiye, Century of Communications" to life. The Declaration sets out both the theoretical rationale and the operational tools of Türkiye’s new “truth-centred” paradigm in communication.
The Communication Roadmap for the Century of Türkiye: Being the Voice of Truth
In conclusion, the 2nd Communication Council is one of the most important pillars of our sincere struggle against the loss of meaning in our age. Through a visionary perspective that regards communication and media as a significant component of the social sciences, government policy and international relations, Türkiye aims to build a high-quality domestic media ecosystem founded on the public interest and accurate information, while continuing to be the voice of truth at the global level.
Burhanettin Duran, Presidency’s Head of Communications