President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, "We cannot leave communication to others, just as we cannot rely solely on foreigners in matters regarding the defence industry and military.”
President Erdoğan sent a video message to the “Turkic Council Media Forum” in İstanbul, hosted by the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications under the theme “Deep-rooted Past, Strong Future”.
President Erdoğan wished the Turkic Council Media Forum success and began his speech with the following remarks: “I would like to extend a warm welcome to the eminent participants of our forum in our lovely Istanbul, a city steeped in history, civilisation, and culture.”
Noting that they conducted an assessment regarding the possibility of holding an international media forum during the Summit of the Turkic Council in 2019 and following that it was agreed to organise a Media Forum hosted by Türkiye, President Erdoğan expressed delight that the media forum is being held today as a result of collective will and efforts.
President Erdoğan expressed his hope that these three-day sessions will serve to strengthen our countries' solidarity in the field of media, which is one of the most abused and ignored areas, and said, “Nowadays, due to the proliferation of social media, we, along with the rest of humanity, are constantly subjected to disinformation campaigns. Millions of vulnerable individuals around the globe suffer terribly, and severe traumas and tragedies occur due to fake and distorted news. Today, social media platforms that lack regulation or self-control have reached a stage where they threaten both democracy and social peace, as well as the national security of states.”
Underlining that no country or society, regardless of its level of development, is exempt from the devastating effect of digital fascism, President Erdoğan noted:
"Aside from digital fascism, the Turkic World is also plagued by a double standard in the international media. The hypocritical attitude displayed during the 44-day Nagorno-Karabakh War, in particular, highlighted the importance of the issue for our countries. The Armenian army's massacre and ballistic missile strikes on civilians were never covered during this process. International media outlets, which advert media independence and objectivity, acted as an official news agency of Armenia. The Karabakh War is neither the first nor the last example of the press embargo on the truth about our countries and the Turkic World."
Cooperation on issues such as film-series projects that prioritise shared culture
Emphasising that they encounter similar attitudes on a variety of issues involving their history, national security, and national values, particularly the so-called genocide allegations, President Erdoğan continued:
"We can now see the truth loud and clear in light of our bitter experiences. We cannot leave communication to others, just as we cannot rely solely on foreigners in matters regarding the defence industry and military. We cannot place our trust in the consciences and work ethics of those who constantly lecture us on human rights, democracy, and freedom from an orientalist perspective. We should take media and communication matters into our own hands, just as we do with other strategic issues. In this respect, as the Turkic World, we should take the initiative, share our experiences, join forces, and seek ways to maximise our existing means. We believe that the forum organised with the theme "Deep-rooted Past, Strong Future" will provide a robust platform at this point."
President Erdoğan also expressed his hope that the forum will strengthen solidarity and enhance mutual trust within the Turkic World, as well as promote cooperation in areas such as the fight against disinformation, information security, national move on information technologies, and film-series projects that prioritise shared culture.
President Erdoğan wished that the forum, held at a critical juncture in time and with the participation of knowledgeable figures, to bring them closer to achieving these objectives, hoping that the Turkic Council Media Forum will lead to auspicious results and expressing his gratitude to everyone who has contributed.