Communications chief calls for cultural originality

ISTANBUL

Türkiye's Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Feb. 14 the country must defend its cultural originality against external influences.

"We were subjected to attempts to deculturize us and detach us from our heritage. Those who sought to erode our culture certainly caused damage but did not succeed," Altun told the Türkiye Publishing Summit in Istanbul.

Altun argued that cultural hegemony does not spread by imposing foreign traditions but by erasing existing ones.

“Imperialists do not conquer nations by granting them their own culture. They destroy them by making them believe they have none,” he said. “Unfortunately, our country has faced these attacks many times in its history.”

Highlighting the role of publishers in cultural preservation, Altun called for a new publishing strategy that both protects cultural authenticity and fosters intercultural dialogue.

“On one hand, we must safeguard our cultural originality. On the other, we must keep our rich heritage alive while improving the quality of intercultural interactions,” he said. “We defend a unique cultural pluralism that upholds social unity against top-down cultural hegemony.”

Altun also pointed to digitalization and the spread of misinformation as significant threats to the publishing industry.

“A new generation publishing strategy must emerge,” he said, pledging to stand together to confront these challenges.

In August 2022, the Turkish presidency's Communications Directorate led by Altun formed a center to "counter disinformation," which regularly publishes bulletins analyzing media reports.