Turkey's Anadolu Agency marks 100th anniversary

The Ankara-based global news agency was established on April 6, 1920, by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of the Turkish Republic. Top agency officials say they're determined to be the voice of oppressed and victimised people of the world.

Anadolu Agency was founded 17 days before the establishment of the Turkish Parliament to publicise the national struggle domestically and internationally.
AA

Anadolu Agency was founded 17 days before the establishment of the Turkish Parliament to publicise the national struggle domestically and internationally.

Turkey's global news wire Anadolu Agency on Monday marked its centennial year with Turkey's Parliament speaker, diplomats of several countries, and journalists across the world hailing the agency's 100 years of news production, and dissemination. 

The Ankara-based news agency was established on April 6, 1920, by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of the Turkish Republic.

AA is determined to maintain its efforts to provide accurate, reliable, speedy, and effective news on its 100th anniversary, Senol Kazanci, the agency’s director-general said.

Kazanci said the agency was founded 17 days before the establishment of the parliament to publicise the national struggle to the public domestically and internationally. 

"I congratulate Anadolu Agency, which is of the same age as the Turkish Grand National Assembly," Turkish Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop said.

The agency "announced [Turkey's] War of Independence to the world while being a witness to every level of it, and is filling us today with pride while turning into one of the world’s most important news agencies," Sentop said.

"Over the last century, Anadolu Agency has risen to become one of the world's most influential news agencies and has become an international brand of Turkey," he said.

A global operation

Kazanci said the news agency operates in 13 languages — including English, Arabic, French, Spanish, Persian, Russian, Bosnian, Indonesian, Sorani, Albanian, Macedonian, and Kurmanji — and provides news to nearly 6,000 subscribers from 100 countries.

Every day it produces an average of 2,000 news reports, he said, along with 2,350 photos and 435 videos, and addresses the world through 18 live broadcasts with the help of more than 3,000 employees of 124 different nationalities.

According to Kazanci, countries' ability to produce information and spread it quickly and accurately on the international stage is as important as being a political, economic, and military power.

AA

AA Director General Senol Kazanci says the agency continues to provide coverage of the "rightful resistance of Palestine, survival struggle of Bosnia, pain of the Rohingya, cries of oppressed Syrians, and untold stories of Africans."

'Voice of oppressed and victims'

"While Turkey took firm steps in its path to becoming a strong global actor politically, economically, and militarily, Anadolu Agency also took part in this sacred march and managed to become the strongest and most effective communication tool communicating Turkey’s messages and viewpoints to the world," AA's DG said.

"In particular, I would like to stress that Anadolu Agency is the voice of the oppressed and of victims around the world," Kazanci added.

"As we proudly celebrate our 100th anniversary, I would like to express my gratitude to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his tremendous support to Anadolu Agency," he added.

He said the agency is excited to spread the word of developments from Turkey to the world as the country witnesses "historical breakthroughs under the president’s leadership."

Kazanci said AA is excited to be the voice and image of a "growing Turkey," as it witnesses and reports history in the run-up to 2023, the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

Diplomats, top officials, and journalists of Indonesia, Palestine, Pakistan, Kuwait, Mauritania, Syria, and other countries on Monday hailed the Turkish news agency for its role in covering conflicts and highlighting humanitarian tragedies. 

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