‘Win-win’: Altun highlights Türkiye, Africa ties at TRT Afrika launch

Türkiye strives to succeed in “higher and better” heights with Africa, Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun has stated on the launch of public broadcaster TRT’s new digital news platform TRT Afrika.

The platform will operate consistent with TRT’s targets of neutral and inclusive journalism and showcase tales from the world’s second-most populous continent to a worldwide viewers. TRT Afrika shall be out there in 4 languages: Swahili, English, Hausa and French.

“Türkiye, unlike Western states, does not take a one-sided and temporary approach towards Africa and the people of this continent,” Altun stated. 

“On the contrary, Türkiye shows its African brothers and sisters with all the steps it takes that its interest in the continent is based on sincere, long term and mutual benefit,” he added.

Altun was talking on the three-day “First Broadcasting Summit” organised by TRT and the African Broadcasting Union.

During his speech, Altun additionally highlighted Türkiye’s robust relations with African nations within the final 20 years beneath the management of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 

“We are witnessing that our relations with African countries based on a win-win understanding, equal partnership and trust, are getting stronger day by day,” he stated.

Altun stated he hopes the three-day summit “will further strengthen the accelerating relations between our countries and increase the cooperation opportunities.”

READ MORE: TRT Afrika: Türkiye’s public broadcaster launches Africa version

Reflecting the realities of Africa

Earlier, TRT’s Director General Mehmet Zahid Sobaci spoke, saying TRT Afrika will mirror Turkish insurance policies with Africa “on the basis of a win-win situation”.

“As of today, TRT Afrika will start broadcasting, and we know that we will be addressing a very special audience because Africa for decades has been subject to the subjective broadcasting policies of the West,” Sobaci stated.

Sobaci stated Africa has been assessed “only in line with the interests of the Western world” and that “colonialism has been overlooked for many years.”

“The rich culture and the natural beauties and the meaningful stories of this continent haven’t been told enough up until today,” Sobaci stated. “TRT Africa will be the sole platform which will reflect the facts and realities in Africa.”

In his speech, Sobaci additionally confused the significance of worldwide cooperation and thanked the worldwide group, particularly African nations, who supplied assist through the devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye’s southern area final month.

“From the first moments of this challenging period that we are in, many of our friends extended their helping hands,” Sobaci stated. “This disaster we faced showed us once again that international cooperation and solidarity are so important.”

Sobaci additionally highlighted the management of Erdogan as a pioneering pressure by way of humanitarian diplomacy.

“The relations between Türkiye and Africa gained remarkable momentum in the last 20 years. The African Opening initiative of our country has been instrumental in terms of developing our friendly relations with the African countries.”

Source: TRTWorld and businesses