The "Symposium of Public Broadcasting in the Post-Truth Era"

was held in the TRNC As part of the events dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Bayrak Radio Television Corporation (BRT), the official television of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), the "Symposium of Public Broadcasting in the Post-Truth Era" was held.

The symposium was held at the Acapulco Hotel in Kyrenia on the initiative of the Turkish Cypriot Women Entrepreneurs Association with the assistance of the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Nicosia and the Bureau for Development and Cooperation of the Republic of Turkey.

Speaking at the opening of the symposium, TRNC President Ersin Tatar recalled that the BRT was created so that the voice of Turkish Cypriots could be heard in difficult conditions and went through difficult stages, and stated that today, thanks to technological development, it has overcome the problems of broadcasting and must produce content.

Stressing that caustic and untruthful publications have become a separate problem today, Tatar said: "Every state is obliged to protect itself, destructive publications must be controlled. If this is not stopped, States and societies may suffer from the damage caused by publications."

Tatar concluded his speech by wishing BRT success in his future broadcasting life.

Feyzioglu got emotional while telling the story of Ayshedzhik's murder

Turkish Ambassador to Nicosia Metin Feyzioglu told the stories of 10-year-old Ayshecik and her 80-year-old grandfather, who were killed by Greeks in the village of Ayvasil in 1963, and said:

"EOKA members came to the village under the full protection of the Greek Cypriot leaders and gathered everyone they found in the village. They took Ayshedjik, tied her to the back of a tractor, dragged her for several miles when she was 10 years old, her grandfather was 80 years old, and took her to the place where they were buried. First, they forced the men who managed to survive to dig a hole. Aishechik couldn't dig, she was waiting. Those who were lucky died by falling into a pit, and those who were unlucky were killed alive by covering them with earth. I do not know the reality of the post–truth, but I know the truth, this is the truth of the island of Cyprus. BRT is the voice of the Turkish Cypriots. This is the voice of Ayshedjik."

Ambassador Feyzioglu, who got emotional in his speech, noted:

"The TRNC, the Turkish Cypriot state, will always exist for Ayshedjik. Turkey stands behind the Turkish Cypriots. The Turkish Cypriots are backed by the President of the Turkish Republic, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who says: "The world is bigger than five" and opposes this bloody order. I honor the memory of Dr. Fazyl Kucuk, Rauf Raif Denktash and that innocent little boy who was killed, and I scream from here, never again! Never!"

BRT Director Meryem Cavusoglu Ozkurt stated that the institution was established on December 25, 1963 as a radio due to the necessity of that time, and today it continues to broadcast as 6 radio channels and 3 television channels.

Explaining that public broadcasting bears additional responsibility for disinformation, untrue news and publications, Ozkurt stated that in this sense it is necessary to introduce "media and news reading" courses both in secondary schools and universities.

After the opening speeches at the symposium, the director of the Anadolu News Agency (AA) Hussein Yilmaz made a presentation on the topic "If the agency did not write it, it is not true", the Secretary General of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation Ibrahim Kelesh made a report on "Collective memory and public Broadcasting", Associate Professor Dr. Oguz Guner, Head of Department of Public Diplomacy of the Communications Department under the President of Turkey on the topic "Disinformation in public diplomacy", RTÜK President Ebubekir Shahin on the topic "Audiovisual media in a developing and changing world" and Fehmi, Director of the Turkish Agency in Cyprus (TAK) Gyrdalli made a presentation on the topic "The role of news agencies in changing the media".

"We will prevent the appearance of fake news"

Speaking at the symposium, Hussein Yilmaz, Director of the Anadolu Agency (AA), stated that he has always tried to support the Cyprus cause throughout his professional life, and that the stage of creating BRT is similar to the struggle of the Anadolu Agency (AA).

Recalling that the AA was also created to transfer National Wrestling to Anatolia, Yilmaz said: "Ataturk created the Anadolu agency under the leadership of Khalide Oedipus to transfer National Wrestling to Anatolia because he saw that the media are also under occupation in occupied Istanbul and need a new initiative. Anadolu Agency is 103 years old today, BRT is 60 years old, and I hope that we will strive for a long time to make the voice of the Turkish people heard."

Stating that the slogan "If the agency didn't write it, it's not true" is a guideline and that they want it to be taken as a basis, Yilmaz continued his words as follows:

"The news provided by AA from the most remote corner of Anatolia gets on the front pages of the international media, but we are not satisfied with this, and we are fighting for the agency to be international. We believe that being a benchmark, on the one hand, and being international, on the other hand, can only be achieved by doing good journalism. By doing good journalism, we do not compromise on the public interest."

Pointing out that disinformation is in places where people turn more to the news, and in parallel, the fight against disinformation is intensifying, Yilmaz said that the AA Anti-Disinformation Hotline evaluates publicly discussed in society, and reaches news sources, and then confirms and publishes them.

Sharing in his presentation the annual reports of the Anti-Disinformation Hotline, Yilmaz stated that the line confirmed more news during the earthquakes in Kahramanmarash and the Israeli attacks on Gaza, and said: "We will prevent the appearance of fake news."