The first meeting of Turkey-Azerbaijan Joint Media Platform has commenced in Istanbul as part of the Turkic Council Media Forum, hosted by the Turkey's Director of Communications.

Discussions aimed at enriching the friendly relations between the two countries under the name of “two states, one nation and common media”. 

With the theme of "Deep Rooted Past, Strong Future", the meeting tackled several issues including traditional and digital media, strategic communication and public diplomacy as well as the joint struggle against disinformation. 

Turkey and Azerbaijan also decided to establish six committees to tackle various issues such as public diplomacy, international media, strategic communication, education as well as legislation and regulation. 

The committees are expected to have critical functions in terms of the effectiveness and coherence of the two countries' joint work and efforts in media and communication fields.

In his speech, Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun stated that cooperation in the media and communication fields is a valuable step considering the recently improved aspect of bilateral relations. 

Altun pointed out the important outcomes that were achieved due to close cooperation, not only in the military and political aspect but also in the field of communication and media during the liberation of Nagorno-Karabakh region. 

''We attribute great importance to Turkey-Azerbaijan cooperation in media, communication and public diplomacy fields to combat with fake news and disinformation,'' said Altun, emphasising that the parties accepted to share their experiences in this regard to evaluate opportunities, develop institutional capacity and conduct joint projects.

The Joint Media Platform is perceived as a significant step in terms of acting in an integrated manner for the Turkish and Azerbaijani media, working effectively to inform the public opinion accurately, and producing common strategies for combating systematic disinformation on digital media platforms. 

Altun affirmed the countries will carry out activities and projects that will attract resounding attention from Turkish and Azerbaijani citizens and the international community with their strong perspective and dynamic structuring under the umbrella of the Joint Media Platform.

On December 10, 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the ''Memorandum of Understanding between Turkey and Azerbaijan on Strategic Cooperation in the Field of Media'' (MoU) as a step to formalize the Joint Media Platform and institutionalize the relations in the field of communication.

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