27.03.2026 11:54
The President of Communications Burhanettin Duran delivered a speech at the 'STRATCOM Summit 2026' program held in Istanbul. Duran said, "We invite the international community and all stakeholders to stand by the truth and to adopt a more resilient and conscious stance against unverified information."
Communication Director Duran spoke at the "STRATCOM Summit 2026" program held in Istanbul. Highlights from Communication Director Duran's statements:
Welcome to the "International Strategic Communication Summit STRATCOM 2026," which hosts leaders, policymakers, experts, academics, and opinion leaders from all over the world. It is a great honor for us to come together with you at this summit, which we are organizing for the fifth time.
I would like to start by expressing my satisfaction with STRATCOM, which has become an international brand, receiving intense interest this year as well. In the panels we organize as part of the summit, we will address current issues in the field of strategic communication alongside the global agenda and engage in comprehensive idea exchanges.
"THIS YEAR WE ARE HOLDING OUR SUMMIT AROUND A STRONG THEME REFLECTING THE SPIRIT OF THE TIME"
This year, we are holding our summit around a strong theme that reflects the spirit of the time: "Breakdown in the International System: Crises, Narratives, and the Search for Order." As can be understood from this theme, we will address both the technical aspects of strategic communication and the multidimensional crises within the international system, as well as the narratives that deepen these crises, in a broad framework.
As is known, we have now left behind the erosion process of the international order established after World War II. Following this process, we are entering a new world whose shape we do not yet fully know.
In Wallerstein's famous words, "we are at the end of the world we know." This transformation, which once found more place in academic predictions and futuristic narratives, is now a concrete reality before all of us.
We are at a stage where uncertainty and insecurity dominate the world today, and the double standard has become so visible that it can no longer be hidden. This picture indicates not only a temporary fluctuation but also a deeper and structural transformation.
The "monsters" that Gramsci pointed out are now mobilizing military, economic, and technological tools to obtain even their simplest interests without any apologetic justification. As a natural consequence of this trend, consensus and diplomacy in the international system are increasingly being pushed to the background; the use of force is becoming the primary tool. These actors now prefer to resolve their disputes through warfare and manage their internal issues through armed suppression methods.
"GENOCIDES THAT WERE SAID 'NEVER AGAIN' AFTER WORLD WAR II ARE NOW HAPPENING ALMOST LIVE"
The understanding of security has also hardened in the same direction; threat rhetoric, preventive war doctrines, and constant crisis production have become the main tools of this approach.
The most striking reflection of this transformation is seen in the field of norms and values. We are in a period where genocides that were said to be "never again" after World War II are now happening almost live; attempts to gain territory through the use of force are openly and audaciously expressed. This picture has led a group of countries that systematically apply double standards not only to erode the moral superiority they claim but also to lose it significantly. The same countries are deepening this contradiction by normalizing Islamophobic and racist rhetoric within their own borders. This contradictory and hardening environment produces destructive effects not only at the global level but also in regional dynamics.
Regional destabilizing actors poison life for all parties in their geographies while trying to present aimless, unclear, and endless aggressive policies as the "new strategic equation." This situation not only deepens the existing instability but also makes uncertainty about the future permanent.
The events in Gaza are the most striking example of this. International law has not been enforced in the face of Israel's genocides, and unfortunately, the global system has remained silent in the face of the massacre of civilians. The Western mainstream media has followed a line that conceals the truth, obscures aggression, and produces unilateral narratives during this process.
While the killing of children is ignored, distorted narratives have been attempted to construct a new perception base. This situation is not only a political failure but also a deep moral collapse. At this point, the technological transformation process exacerbates the impact of the crisis.
Artificial intelligence, algorithms, and digital manipulation tools sometimes make events invisible; at other times, they distort reality, causing it to be perceived in completely different ways.
While the international community has not yet digested the speed of the information age, we are now facing a much more destructive phase. The age of disinformation... In this new phase, not only information but the very truth itself is systematically eroded and reshaped.
"TURKEY HAS FORESEEN THE LOSS OF ALTITUDE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER AND THE NORMATIVE COLLAPSE IN THIS FIELD LONG AGO"
Turkey has long foreseen the loss of altitude of the international order and the normative collapse in this field and has made strong warnings in this regard multiple times.
For example, Turkey foresaw the impending systemic crises in Syria and Iraq and made the necessary warnings. In the war in Ukraine, we expressed that this issue could not be resolved through military means, and therefore we turned to diplomatic engagements.
Perhaps most importantly, we understood very early on how vital justice is for the world order, drawing inspiration from our historical roots. The call of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, that "a fairer world is possible" was the strongest expression of our warnings and demand for global justice and a significant call to the world.
As Turkey, we have showcased our unique approaches and models at every point where the global crisis has become chronic.
We have strived to produce solutions to impending crises and conflicts first in our region and then on a global scale, and we continue to do so. This effort is not only a diplomatic reflex but also a reflection of a historical sense of responsibility and our multidimensional understanding of foreign policy.
In an era where conventional wars have come back to the agenda and power competition has intensified, we will certainly continue to maintain an approach that prioritizes dialogue and diplomacy.
By effectively using mediation and facilitation mechanisms, we will continue to build bridges between parties, keep communication channels open, and contribute to the peaceful resolution of disputes. The steps we have taken in this direction have played a preventive role not only in times of crisis but also in periods when some crises were just budding. Our intense diplomatic efforts to prevent the war that broke out right next to us from starting and our ongoing initiatives to achieve a ceasefire today are the most important indicators of this stance.
This attitude has garnered great appreciation first in our surroundings and then in different geographies of the world. Turkey has become a brand that prefers to position itself alongside peace, stability, and humanity, rather than one of the parties in any crisis. For this reason, we have created one of the rare grounds where actors with different views and conflicting interests can gather around the same table.
Of course, as I mentioned above, we have resolutely continued this struggle not only in the field or at the diplomacy tables but also in the protection and defense of the truth.
Our President has continuously warned our society against systematic attacks carried out through disinformation, perception management, and information pollution since the early days of social media and digital journalism. He has highlighted the risks posed by this new communication age.
"IN THIS PERIOD DESCRIBED AS THE 'AGE OF DISINFORMATION', THE PROTECTION OF TRUTH IS NOT A PREFERENCE, BUT A CLEAR RESPONSIBILITY"
As Turkey, we have embraced the protection of truth in this period described as the "age of disinformation" as a responsibility and duty, not a preference. Because we know that information is not just a means of communication; it is also one of the fundamental elements of social peace, political stability, and global justice.
In this regard, we see that not only states but also technology companies operating on a global scale can sometimes create a ground for the spread of manipulative and provocative content with profit-oriented approaches.
Such content not only creates momentary perceptions but also produces results that damage the social fabric of societies, deepen political polarization, and shake economic balances.
For this reason, we invite the international community and all stakeholders to stand by the truth and to exhibit a more resilient and conscious stance against unverified information. The crises and conflicts experienced in recent years have once again clearly demonstrated how vital this struggle is.
Today, we will discuss the communication opportunities and limits of our age at the Stratcom meetings. As you all know, communication has a wide impact area that extends from media to digital, from culture to public diplomacy. Those who manage this area not only determine the agenda but also shape the future.
In this context, as the Presidency of Communication, we see building a communication ecosystem based on accurate, verified, and reliable information as a fundamental priority. Today, it must be stated very clearly: In the age we live in, strategic communication cannot be considered separately from conflict areas and crises. The information produced is becoming not just information but a direct element of power and a field of competition. Nowadays, threats enter our world not with tanks but with "new trends"; moreover, they advance not with bullets but with manipulation.
For this reason, in the new security architecture, the protection of truth is as critical a responsibility as the protection of physical borders. Therefore, I would like to reiterate that disinformation is not a communication problem but a direct national, even global, threat.
The duty of states is to establish a security-based order instead of the chaos that disinformation seeks to create. We must protect and strengthen a state mentality that manages information and determines our future against perception operations. For this purpose, with the Disinformation Combat Center we established in 2022, we have identified thousands of misleading content to inform the public accurately.
"JUSTICE TO BE ESTABLISHED IN THE FIELD OF COMMUNICATION WILL BE ONE OF THE STRONGEST GUARANTEES FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF GLOBAL PEACE, TRUST, AND STABILITY"
We prepared 202 disinformation bulletins and 2 almanacs and presented them to the national and international public in 10 different languages. On the other hand, we have also brought up the establishment of a viable ethical framework in the fight against disinformation as an extremely vital issue. In this direction, we have carried out joint studies with national and international media organizations, journalists, the communication academy, and civil society organizations.
Justice to be established in the field of communication will be one of the strongest guarantees for the reconstruction of global peace, trust, and stability.
I believe that the STRATCOM 2026 Summit will lead to strong and lasting outcomes in this direction. With these thoughts, I express my gratitude to our Vice President Mr. Cevdet Yılmaz, and I thank all participants. I also thank the participants who responded to our invitation from all over the world. I congratulate my colleagues who contributed to the realization of such a beautiful summit. I greet you with respect and affection.