Anadolu's 24th term war journalism training begins

By Ayse Sensoy Boztepe

ANKARA (AA) – Anadolu, in cooperation with the Police Academy and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), started the 24th term war journalism training on Monday.

The two-week course, which includes 10 Anadolu personnel and 15 people from various countries, aims to train correspondents for missions in wars, disasters, and extraordinary situations.

A ceremony was held at the Anadolu headquarters in the capital Ankara to mark the start of the new training period.

Alptekin Cihangir Isbilir, director of the AA News Academy, told the event that journalists' role is not just to document wars and conflicts but also to raise early warning mechanisms before they happen, prevent conflicts, and minimize civilian casualties.

He highlighted the increasing conflicts and extraordinary situations worldwide and pointed out that 46 journalists, including four women, were killed in the escalating Israel-Palestine conflict.

Isbilir said that despite the challenges, Anadolu continues to report from conflict zones and be the voice of the oppressed.

Fatih Inal, deputy director of the Police Academy, said that Anadolu has been organizing the war journalism training in collaboration with the Police Academy for 24 terms, providing training to 508 media professionals for working in war and challenging conditions.

He explained that the training program includes assessing and enhancing journalists' resilience, advanced driving techniques on slippery terrain or in risky areas, information on the use of explosive materials and ballistic vests, and team-building for coping with possible abductions and interrogations.

Mustafa Hasim Polat, coordinator of training projects at TIKA, highlighted that the state agency's mission is to share Türkiye's experience with friendly nations.

He emphasized that problems in the regions like Gaza, Syria and Ukraine affect everyone, and those who experience and report on these problems, whether they receive training or not, contribute significantly to addressing the issues.

He distinguished between propaganda and news, advising the trainees to focus on reporting the truth and being the voice of truth in the face of propaganda.