“National Public Diplomacy Strategy Paper and Action Plan” introduced

The second meeting of the Public Diplomacy Coordination Board was held at the Presidential Complex by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications. At the meeting, the "National Public Diplomacy Strategy Paper and Action Plan", prepared under the coordination of the Directorate of Communications, was introduced.

The meeting chaired by Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun was attended by deputy ministers, directors and deputy directors of institutions affiliated to the Presidency, and representatives of non-governmental organisations.

At the meeting, where the participants evaluated Türkiye's vision of public diplomacy and the projects and activities carried out in this context, the National Public Diplomacy Strategy Paper and Action Plan, which is the "first policy paper in the field of public diplomacy" and prepared under the coordination of the Directorate of Communications, was introduced.

President Erdoğan: "This paper will bring a new and unique perspective to public diplomacy"

President Erdoğan penned the preface of the Strategy Paper and Action Plan.

Stating that Türkiye's international and domestic "struggle for truth" should be built on a more holistic, scientific and systematic strategy, President Erdoğan said that the way to achieve this was through successful public diplomacy activities.

Pointing out that success in public diplomacy can only be achieved if all stakeholders develop cooperation, increase coordination, and establish unity of goals and actions, President Erdoğan noted: "The 'National Public Diplomacy Strategy Paper and Action Plan', prepared by our Directorate of Communications to ensure the coordination of Türkiye's public diplomacy activities, has the distinction of being the first example in its field in our country. I believe that the paper will bring a new and original perspective to public diplomacy while directing the works that will increase the 'soft power' of our country. I congratulate everyone who contributed to making this important paper available for our nation. I expect all relevant institutions and organisations to adopt the practices included in the 'National Public Diplomacy Strategy Paper and Action Plan' in the most effective way."

Presidency's Director of Communications Altun: "We will see the tangible achievements of this work"

In his speech at the meeting, Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun stated that the National Public Diplomacy Strategy Paper and Action Plan was an extremely valuable guide which they compiled jointly with all the relevant institutions and organisations.

Emphasising that this work, which was produced with coordination, cooperation, joint efforts and a common mind, was a significant achievement for the public, Altun stated that together, they would see the tangible achievements of this strategy paper and action plan.

Stating that one of the most important functions of the Directorate of Communications, which was founded with the establishment of the Presidential Government System, was the coordination of public diplomacy activities, Altun said, "Actually, our state and public sector have a very significant body of knowledge, a very serious accumulation and a very serious experience in this sense. This function, which, at present, has found its concrete form in the Directorate of Communications, is carried out in various dimensions by different units, institutions and organisations of our state. For this reason, we saw a clear need for coordination. We thought we could realise this function with the help of the Public Diplomacy Coordination Board."

Stating that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's call for a "communication mobilisation" inspired them at this point, Altun said that they wanted to expand the common mind and enable a healthy division of labour instead of concentration.

Altun also noted that both the Public Diplomacy Coordination Board and the National Public Diplomacy Strategy Paper and Action Plan were the first examples in the Republic's history.

Explaining that there was a need to operate in two main areas in public diplomacy, Fahrettin Altun noted, "The first is the fight against anti-Türkiye disinformation and black propaganda. The second is the execution of activities aimed at strengthening the brand of Türkiye and Türkiye's reputation. At this point, we are working to implement short, medium and long-term activities, programs and campaigns."

Expressing that today the world was going through a period in which the crisis of diplomacy was mentioned, Altun stated the following:

"In this context, the pandemic brought about a serious transformation; first of all, it triggered global fears while strengthening the sense of interdependence in the global arena. On the other hand, the period we are in has brought us to experience a new reality that we call "post-truth", that is, "beyond the truth", parallel with the intensification of digitalisation. In the post-truth era, we see that the material foundation of public diplomacy has been transformed seriously. First of all, we see that the public relations activity in public diplomacy has lost its significance to a great extent and has been replaced by lobbying and investment in critical actors. On the other hand, in this period, unlike even ten years ago, we see that the documentary perspective has lost its importance in strategic communication campaigns, with a shift towards spectacle and sensation in public diplomacy activities of various countries. Again, we can observe a transition from a strategic perspective to instant tactical steps in this area. We can say that this is a kind of concrete transformation.

In addition to this general outlook, there is also a special reason why our task is not easy. In recent years, there has been a significant surge in anti-Türkiye propaganda and disinformation efforts. Here we are speaking not only of an increase in quantity but also of a differentiation in quality. We see that anti-Türkiye activities now are not products of long-term campaigns based on narratives, that such activities have lost their sophistication, and that, in essence, efforts are being made to run black propaganda and disinformation campaigns that make use of unrelated elements brought together hastily. In this sense, we see that spontaneous attacks are becoming more common instead of sophisticated long-term planning. Similarly, we see that politics of lies lacking tangible foundations has replaced the manipulation-based disinformation efforts of the past. Apparently, manipulation is replaced with fabrication. In this regard, we also see that international disinformation and black propaganda efforts come as an activity supported by the domestic opposition elements at home. This is what we mean by a qualitative transformation."

Fahrettin Altun pointed out that Türkiye's remarkable success and achievements in the fight against terrorism brought along very harsh rhetoric and intense black propaganda and disinformation activities in the international arena.

Noting that Türkiye's engagement in the chronic crises within its historical and cultural geography and its active/actual presence in the crisis regions also led to an increase in the intensity of attacks targeting the country, Altun said, "Of course, this is actually an opportunity for us. In this sense, we have overcome the pandemic period in a substantially favourable manner for us under the leadership of our President. I am not just talking about the steps we have taken in combatting the pandemic. We evaluated the pandemic period to be a significant gain in terms of consolidating Türkiye's position as a regional power and making progress in its struggle to become a global power. Türkiye's performance in the Eastern Mediterranean, Libya, and Azerbaijan can be counted as the most tangible examples in this regard that should be underscored. I think these tangible achievements consolidating our country's position as a regional power and moving our country forward in becoming a global power are important opportunities, although they result in increased disinformation efforts facing us. At this point, we can advantageously make use of these gains in terms of our public diplomacy. Under these conditions and through these times, when we act together in coordination with each other and mobilise the resources of the public, the civil society, and the academia, we can fully take advantage of the strength our country has gained to enhance our prestige in the international arena.

Emphasising that the National Public Diplomacy Strategy Paper and Action Plan in this regard was an important step, Altun continued as follows,

"This document sets out tangible strategies and roadmaps in 22 areas. A tangible framework is outlined concerning what will be done in all domains of public diplomacy through a broad repertoire, including digital diplomacy, science diplomacy, tourism diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, faith diplomacy, education diplomacy, humanitarian diplomacy, and sports diplomacy. Of course, although planning is vital, it is essential that it should be flexible, dynamic, and modular. At this point, we will, of course, welcome any contribution to improve our paper and increase its quality during the process. It is essential that this paper be revised and updated according to emerging needs. Our wish in this regard is to be able to establish unity of discourse, political cohesion, and the saving of resources. In this regard, this coordination will be significantly helpful."

Fahrettin Altun expressed his wish that "This paper and the activities we will carry out together may contribute to Türkiye's strength and prestige, and reinforce its strength and prestige even more."

Public Diplomacy Coordination System

A Public Diplomacy Coordination System was set up to ensure fast, efficient and effective public diplomacy activities carried out by the ministries, organisations, and institutions.

The System consists of the Public Diplomacy Coordination Mechanism made up of the board and commissions, the National Public Diplomacy Strategy Paper and Action Plan, the Public Diplomacy Monitoring System, assessment and evaluation, and programmes.

The National Public Diplomacy Strategy Paper and Action Plan set out 22 strategy papers and action plans.

During the drafting of the Paper, a total of 33 commission meetings were held with the attendance of a total of 461 persons from 61 different organisations and institutions.

Within the scope of the works carried out additionally, a total of 26 different public diplomacy commissions, including five special commissions, were established. Relevant organisations will have the task of chairing the commissions while conducting works under the coordination of the Directorate of Communications.