No one can underestimate our security struggle: Aydın Doğan
ISTANBUL
No country can underestimate Turkey’s international struggle to counter the threats to the country’s security, Doğan Group Honorary Chairman Aydın Doğan said on feb. 15 at this year’s first meeting of the Doğan Media Group’s Publishing Principles Committee, a board supervising media ethics in all Doğan Holding-linked media outlets, including daily Hürriyet and the Hürriyet Daily News.
“No one can deny our right to self-defense. The fight against terror requires a comprehensive approach and everyone’s cooperation,” Doğan said.
He added that Turkey is going through a very critical period, saying he “deeply believes we can overcome these
difficult times thanks to our national unity.”
Fight against terror on several fronts
“Our country has been struggling with terror for more than 30 years. There is no other country in the world that is struggling with a number of terror threats at the same time, including from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK], the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [ISIL] as well as the failed coup staged by the Fethullah Terror Organization [FETÖ],” Doğan said.
He also referred to the security threat posed to Turkey by the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).
“Operation Olive Branch, launched by the Turkish military in Afrin on Feb. 18 to counter the threat from the YPG, is continuing with success. The utmost attention is paid in this operation to avoid any civilian casualties,” Doğan said.
He also underlined the current tension between Turkey and the U.S and the need for restoring trust between the two countries.
“We have heard conflicting statements from the U.S. The fight against the ISIL cannot justify cooperation with another terror organization,” Doğan said, adding that he hopes
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s visit to Turkey will help restore trust between the two allies.
Speaking at the committee meeting, former ambassador and the chief aide to the president of Doğan Holding, Volkan Vural, said Doğan Group media outlets “followed a policy that supports Turkey’s righteous fight against terror.”
“Their coverage is objective but at the same time defends the country’s interests,” Vural stressed.
At the meeting Aydın Doğan also welcomed the newest member of the committee, Ayşe Nuhoğlu, the dean of school of law at Bahçeşehir University.
“I sincerely believe Ms. Nuhoğlu will make a great contribution to our committee and enrich the legal depth of the committee. I welcome Professor Nuhoğlu, whose expertise also includes media law,” Doğan said.
Among the attendees of the meeting were Fikret Bila, editor-in-chief of daily Hürriyet, Murat Yetkin, editor-in-chief of the Hürriyet Daily News, CNN Türk CEO Erdoğan Aktaş, Rıfat Ababay, the editor-in-chief of daily Posta, journalist Altan Öymen and Doğan Hızlan, Hürriyet’s publishing consultant.