Head of Communications Duran said, "We must foster more concrete cooperation against disinformation, establish joint verification mechanisms, and share information with each other by operating early warning systems."
The Presidency's Head of Communications, Burhanettin Duran, spoke at the Turkic States Forum on Combating Disinformation, organised by the Presidency's Directorate of Communications.
Expressing his pleasure at hosting guests from the Turkic world in Ankara, Head of Communications Duran voiced his hope that the Turkic World Vision Document would bring auspicious outcomes.
Highlighting that they would discuss combating disinformation at the forum, open doors to new collaborations, and further strengthen their ranks on the communication front, Head of Communications Duran said, "The Organization of Turkic States, drawing strength from the bonds of brotherhood, is moving forward with its institutionalisation process, at a time when the world has been shaken by uncertainties, conflicts, and fractures, and when a profound systemic crisis has unfolded. For 16 years, our organisation has been working in many areas, ranging from economic integration and transportation corridors to defence cooperation, education, and cultural policies, and has set new goals under the motto 'unity in language, thought, and action.'"
"The threat in the field of disinformation is actually a threat to the truth"
Stating that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's remarks at the 12th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States were very important, Head of Communications Duran said, "In the communication sphere, manipulation, cyberattacks, the rising tide of hate speech on social media platforms, and information insecurity, particularly disinformation, constitute a direct threat to public order. The threat in the field of disinformation is actually a threat to the truth and has become an international instrument. These have also become a strategic area that directly concerns national security, social stability, and international reputation. In this context, it has been recognised how serious disinformation is as a risk and threat, which we can also describe as a mental catastrophe, a perceptual decay, or the slaughter of truth."
Head of Communications Duran emphasised that the inclusion of combating disinformation in both the Turkic World Vision 2040 Document and the 2025 Action Plan in the Field of Information was no "coincidence" and said, "The concept of disinformation lies beneath the crisis of the international system that we are closely witnessing today and the increasingly deepening problem of truth. Disinformation can be considered not only a byproduct of global crises; it also stands before us as an instrument that deepens and exacerbates those crises. Disinformation is not merely misinformation or fake news. Disinformation is an existential threat that distorts minds, blurs perceptions, polarises societies and thus can critically damage the states' capabilities and capacities in times of crisis and disaster."
"We see that the international reputation and shared identity of Turkic states are being targeted"
Head of Communications Duran stated that wars were no longer waged solely through military means and continued:
"It begins with the destabilisation of the target country, region, or society and the erosion of its mental, social, and institutional resilience. In this context, when we take a closer look at our brotherly Turkic states, we observe that disinformation efforts are sometimes conducted simultaneously around common targets, while at other times they are pursued through differentiated strategies tailored to specific countries. Unfortunately, many of our strategic projects, primarily in the areas of energy, defence, transportation, and trade corridors, can become the target and subject of counter-propaganda and disinformation campaigns. At the same time, we see that the international reputation, shared identity, cooperation mechanisms, and regional solidarity of Turkic states are also being targeted."
Head of Communications Duran highlighted the three key areas where it is essential to conduct work against systematic perception management operations and remarked, "First, our peoples must get to know and understand each other more closely. In this regard, our channel TRT Avaz, the common voice of the Turkic States, plays a pivotal role with its mission of 'telling us about ourselves.' Second, the Turkic world must itself construct its strong narrative in the international arena. In this regard, Türkiye is conducting significant activities through both TRT and the Anatolian Agency. Third, we must strengthen the resilience of our societies against disinformation, particularly in times of crisis and disaster, and establish joint mechanisms to combat it. And this forum serves this purpose precisely."
"We have exposed nearly 2,500 cases of disinformation to date"
Noting that the Centre for Combating Disinformation, established in 2022 within the Directorate of Communications, exposes fake news, misinformation, and fictional content, Head of Communications Duran said, "In addition, we engage in comprehensive efforts in terms of inter-institutional coordination, early warning mechanisms, rapid information dissemination in times of crises, and strengthening media literacy among the society. In combating disinformation, both the coordination mechanism we have established with our institutions and the communication network we have established with our nation through the e-government Disinformation Reporting Service are of great importance. Owing to the system we have created; we have exposed nearly 2,500 cases of disinformation to date."
Head of Communications Duran stated that they have exposed countless instances of disinformation targeting the Turkic world, highlighting the numerous cases of disinformation they uncovered during the Second Karabakh War, which unfolded in front of everyone.
"We must shield our countries against disinformation campaigns"
Pointing out that it is imperative to understand in depth the new dynamics, opportunities, and challenges in communication and to implement joint strategies accordingly, Head of Communications Duran went on to say:
"We must be able to counter the narrative and the story being constructed against us through our own collective capacity and ability to forge a common narrative. In other words, against disinformation, we must foster more concrete cooperation, establish joint verification mechanisms, and share information with each other by operating early warning systems. As Türkiye, we are taking critical steps in many areas, including increasing media literacy, raising awareness among our children and youth about digital threats, strengthening cybersecurity infrastructure, developing algorithmic monitoring tools against AI-powered manipulation, and institutionalising coordinated information sharing among public institutions. We stand ready, with great satisfaction, to share the capacity we have developed in this area with our brotherly countries.
This approach will also demonstrate a united stance against any artificial attempts to divide the Turkic world. I believe that data sharing, experience transfer, joint verification mechanisms, and rapid response capacity among our countries are important elements that will form the defence umbrella of the Turkic world in the field of information. We must shield our countries, our organisation, our unity, and our brotherhood against disinformation campaigns. We need institutionalisation to protect ourselves from their destructive effects. And this must be carried out through an international coordination mechanism."
The forum was attended by Tahsin Ertuğruloğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus; Kanat Iskakov, Vice Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Marat Tagaev, Deputy Minister of Culture, Information and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic; Ahmad Ismayilov, Executive Director of the Media Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan; Kobuljon Akhmedov, Director of the Centre for the Production of Content for Mass Media under the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Serdar Karagöz, Chairman of the Board and Director General of Anadolu Agency; and Mehmet Zahid Sobacı, TRT Director General, along with numerous other guests.
