By Yildiz Nevin Kasim
Serdar Karagoz, the president and CEO of Anadolu, stressed the media's critical role in fostering an environmentally conscious society at the launch of Anadolu’s "Our Green Line: Environment" photo exhibit in Ankara.
Speaking to Turkish news channel NTV, where he shared his vision for the exhibition held at One Tower shopping mall in the Turkish capital, Karagoz reiterated Anadolu’s commitment to raising public awareness of environmental issues through impactful news content.
The exhibit, which is open through Aug. 31, is the result of a collaborative effort led by Anadolu, with contributions from other Mediterranean region news agencies, including Spain's EFE, Italy's ANSA, and Greece's AMNA.
"Our goal here is to foster an environmentally conscious society," Karagoz said during the interview.
He stressed the need for a unified approach to environmental sensitivity, particularly in regions like the Mediterranean Basin, which has been significantly affected by climate-related disasters.
"A society cannot be partly sensitive or partly insensitive. We said, 'As countries in the Mediterranean Basin, each of us must be sensitive to the environment.' As news agencies producing the most media content, we see this as our responsibility," he added.
Karagoz also addressed the urgent environmental challenges faced by the Mediterranean region, including the widespread devastation caused by wildfires and floods.
"From 2020 to 2024, millions of hectares of land were burned in the Mediterranean Basin. Major floods due to climate change also hit the region, causing losses to all of us," he explained.
He emphasized the importance of proactive measures and raising public awareness.
"There are things that can be done on these issues by human efforts. We need to raise awareness in our societies about what can be done by human effort, categorized as human activities."
"Protecting the environment through the media is possible with our news content," Karagoz added, underlining Anadolu’s dedication to using its platform to promote sustainability and environmental responsibility.
*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi in Istanbul