Sports World Marks Anadolu Agency's 101St Anniversary

Turkey's sports community celebrated Anadolu Agency's 101st anniversary on Tuesday.

Turkish football clubs MKE Ankaragucu, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Istanbul Basaksehir, the country's football and basketball federations and the Turkish Youth and Sports Ministry each published messages to mark the occasion.

"We are celebrating the 101st anniversary of Anadolu Agency, which was established to announce the voice of our nation to the world during the beginning of the War of Independence upon the instructions of our great leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk," Ankaragucu said on Twitter.

Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Istanbul Basaksehir and Turkish football and basketball bodies released similar messages.

Additionally, Turkish Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu tweeted to celebrate the Ankara-based global news agency's anniversary, describing Anadolu Agency as "the pioneer of journalism in Turkey and reference source of information"

Kasapoglu also shared an infographic by the agency that told the story of the Turkish media outlet's establishment.

Anadolu Agency, founded on April 6, 1920 during the War of Independence on the instructions of the Republic of Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, has been the voice of Anatolia to the world for 101 years.

Established 17 days before the opening of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, or parliament, Anadolu Agency continues to be a reliable source of news with more than a century of experience.

One of the world's most influential and respected news agencies, it makes a difference with news and visuals transmitted from hot regions.

The establishment of Anadolu Agency took place during a difficult period that could be called the "turning point of Turkey's national struggle."

Yunus Nadi Abalioglu and Halide Edip Adivar, two intellectuals who set out for Anatolia to take part in the national struggle, discussed the issue of establishing an agency as soon as they arrived in Ankara – the future capital – during a break in their train journey.

They arrived in Ankara on the evening of April 1. On April 4-5, talks on the establishment of Anadolu Agency were launched.

During the War of Independence, Anadolu Agency, keeping the nation awake against incitements and lies that would endanger national unity, informing the public in time about decisions and movements that would lead the national struggle to independence, made efforts to inform the public correctly and made an important contribution to ensuring the integration of the people with the new government by communicating the decisions taken by the parliament to the public.

The agency now operates in 13 languages and provides news to more than 6,000 subscribers from over 100 countries. -