The “Workshop on Standards, Integration and Coordination in Public Communication” was organized by Directorate of Communications of the Presidency. The workshop was attended by the press and public relations counsellors and officials from all the ministries and directorates of the Presidency. The participants discussed the communication planning and coordination processes in crisis communication between public organizations and institutions for two days.
Speaking at the inauguration of the workshop, Director of Communications Prof. Fahrettin Altun said that their aim was to make the voice of the state heard by the nation and to make the voice of the nation heard by the world.
Stating that they are in a tough geography at a difficult time, Altun said, “We are struggling for existence. On the one hand, we have a country that is struggling to grow, a state that strives to be rooted and a system that makes an effort to institutionalize. On the other hand, the searches for an order that has been becoming increasingly chaotic in the global sense became the hallmark of our age. We see that the struggles in the global arena are getting harder. Furthermore, the ambiguities mark the period we live in. Although there are serious difficulties deriving from this situation, there are obviously significant opportunities as well.”
“Turkey is in search of becoming a global power”
Underlining that Turkey has become an effective global power following the year 2000, Altun said the following: “Turkey's position as a regional power also determines our place at the table and in the field to a great extent. Turkey is also in search of becoming a global power. Moreover, Turkey has substantial opportunities in a global environment that has been hosting an increasingly harsh fight. First of all, we have a strong leadership. Besides, our democratic and strong concept of state and the fact that such concept is put into action are the other opportunities that we enjoy. Furthermore, among our substantial opportunities are our growing human capital, our young population and our strong economy, despite all the efforts aimed at besieging it.”
Fahrettin Altun stated that the Presidential Government System was an important step in terms of the institutionalization of these opportunities.
Altun added that the speed and performance has become a norm in the public administration within the new government system and that the concepts of communication and media have become more strategic than ever before in the public administration in such an environment.
“Not only the crisis management, but also the process management is critical”
Stating that a Directorate of Communications directly attached to the Presidency has been created in the new system on the basis of such need, Altun said that the main functions of the Directorate of Communications of the Presidency was “to conduct the activities of public diplomacy,” “to regulate the media field,” “to conduct the relationship and the flow of information between the state and people sturdily,” “to establish the integrity of the state's discourse” and “to determine the institutional communication standards of public institutions and organizations.”
Altun said that they considered the “Workshop on Standards, Integration and Coordination in Public Communication” as a direct extension of the shared wisdom in terms of determining the communication standards of public institutions and organizations.
Altun stated that determining the communication standards of public institutions and organizations is vital not only with regard to crisis management, but also with the process management.
“We have very clear goals in this workshop. First of all, we want to contribute to boosting the reputation of the nation, the flag, the country and the state both inside and outside. Moreover, we consider this workshop very important in terms of the integration and mobilization of our facilities and the construction of common communication objectives and our communication structure. In this context, determining communication management standards is a critical element. One of the objectives we have put into this workshop is to ensure integration, and thus to increase efficiency,” said Altun.
Fahrettin Altun added that he believed that the workshop would contribute to the creation and implementation of a policy document on the national communication strategy.
