By Huseyin Cem Dagistanli and Saduman Turkay
Participants of the "26th War Journalism Training” organized by Anadolu received a water survival drill to ensure their safety during disasters, and extraordinary situations.
A total of 25 participants, including nine Anadolu personnel, participants from 15 different countries, and one GZT (Türkiye's next-generation social content platform) staff member, took part in the course.
The course teaches journalists how to act in challenging conditions such as wars, fires, floods, and earthquakes through both theoretical and practical lessons.
During the first five days of the training, experts provided theoretical lessons on topics such as terrorism, "war psychology," and "media management in emergencies."
Following this, the participants underwent practical training in topics such as "handling social events and gas mask usage," "close combat," and "first aid."
On the sixth day of the training, participants were given water survival training at the Kesikkopru Dam in the capital Ankara.
After receiving theoretical information, the participants entered the dam's reservoir to practice how to survive if they fall into the water during an assignment.
The participants were given detailed information on the dangers of hypothermia, especially in cases during winter.
Ambulances and rescue divers were on standby throughout the training.
One of the War Correspondent Training instructors, Ozkan Sukas, said the participants were trained in how to form a group, create a survival space when stranded in water, and swim to shore under a leader’s guidance.
"We demonstrated to the participants how to stay afloat in the water through practical exercises," Sukas, who is a deputy commissioner at the General Directorate of Security, told Anadolu.
"We taught them to remain calm on the water, stay together as a group, and wait for help without panicking,” he said.
"The journalists participating in the training were enthusiastic and motivated, and it was a fun group. This made us happy too," he noted.
“We took the participants to the middle of the dam by boat. They jumped into the water from there, and we had previously shown them the techniques,” Sukas recalled.
“They formed a life circle and reached the shore together without breaking formation. This concluded the training,” he added.
Dmitri Chirciu, an Anadolu correspondent based in Moscow, said that the training was very beneficial and that the knowledge they gained would be very useful in war or emergency situations.
"During the training, we learn important elements for our safety that we might not notice during assignments," Chirciu said.
Anadolu, in cooperation with the Police Academy and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), started the 26th term of war journalism training on Sept. 23.
The two-week course aims to train correspondents for missions in wars, disasters, and extraordinary situations.
*Writing by Zehra Nur Celik