Turkish-Greek Media and Academy Forum held in Istanbul

By Zeynep Rakipoglu and Faruk Hanedar

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Turkish-Greek Media and Academy Forum was held Thursday, which was organized in collaboration between the Foundation for Türkiye Studies and the Institute of Global Affairs.

In his opening speech at a panel titled "The Role of Media in Turkish-Greek Relations,” Prof. Enes Bayrakli, Deputy Chairman of the Foundation for Türkiye Studies, said there are significant problems in Turkish-Greek relations, ranging from the Aegean to the Eastern Mediterranean and minority issues, which cannot be denied.

Bayrakli pointed out that these issues have caused tensions between the two countries. He commended the leaders of both countries for managing the issues in a way that has prevented them from escalating into a heated conflict. He said both countries could move beyond these problems. To achieve this, he emphasized the need for extensive efforts in various areas, including the cultural, academic and media sectors.

Bayrakli said they organized this event to contribute positively to the field. He said the forum's first panel would discuss how collaboration in the media field could be achieved, and the second panel would explore positive projects in the academic field.

- 'Shortage of personnel in media sector makes the role of agencies more important'

Yusuf Ozhan, Deputy General Manager and Editor-in-Chief of Anadolu Agency, also spoke at the forum.

He mentioned that they have been working with Athens News Agency for decades and had shared platforms and collaborated before signing a cooperation agreement between the two agencies. He highlighted the advantage of this collaboration in overcoming future challenges.

Ozhan said that as Anadolu, they strive to cover news from all around the world, including information about Türkiye and Greece. He pointed out that the shortage of personnel in the media sector has made the role of news agencies even more critical. He also noted that Anadolu and Athens News Agency are not just a collaboration between two agencies but a societal relationship.

- 'Journalist's job is only to report the news'

Bora Bayraktar, TRT World Channel Coordinator, discussed the significant problems in Turkish-Greek relations that go beyond the scope of the media.

He emphasized that their role as journalists is to report what is happening but that they cannot solve issues like the Cyprus problem, the Aegean dispute, or the Turkish minority issue in Greece.

Bayraktar said that several long-standing issues are on the agenda, but these are beyond their field. However, they can report on these issues responsibly.

He also said that despite many crises between the two countries in the past 30 years, there have been moments of cooperation and positive interactions. He recalled how Greek newspapers used Turkish headlines during the 1999 Marmara earthquake and stressed the importance of such positive moments.

He said he had researched peace and conflict resolution for his doctoral thesis, studied peace journalism extensively and believed that a journalist's role is solely to report the news, not to take on the responsibilities of politicians or ministers.

- 'Another thing we can do is to talk to each other'

Aimilios Perdikaris, General Manager of Athens News Agency, spoke about the cooperation opportunities the event had presented.

He mentioned the challenging political environments but emphasized that the forum allows the media to find its path.

Perdikaris said that working together, having discussions, respecting each other, and finding ways to collaborate in different areas are essential. He pointed out the significance of addressing issues like climate change, which is crucial for both countries in the Mediterranean region, and emphasized the need to present such matters as unifying rather than divisive.

- 'Role of Academia in Turkish-Greek Relations'

The Turkish-Greek Media and Academy Forum continued with a panel titled "The Role of Academia in Turkish-Greek Relations" moderated by academics Sotiris Serbos and featuring Enis Tulca, Constantinos Filis, Panagiota Manoli and Esra Ozsuer as speakers.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas