Anadolu Agency marks 102nd anniversary

By Ferdi Turkten

ANKARA (AA) - Anadolu Agency on Wednesday marked its 102nd anniversary with a ceremony at its headquarters in Ankara, Turkiye's capital.

Established on April 6, 1920 during the Turkish War of Independence on the instructions of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Republic of Turkiye, the agency has served as the country's voice to the world for over a century.

"As Anadolu Agency, just as we were founded 102 years ago to fight imperialism, iniquity, injustice, human rights violations, and inequality between women and men, today we want to carry this struggle to the international arena," said Serdar Karagoz, the agency's director-general.

Deputy directors-general Yusuf Ozhan and Oguz Enis Peru also attended the ceremony, where Karagoz said they were inspired the most by Anadolu Agency's origin story.

Noting that the agency was founded to support the Turkish national struggle and has covered news for 102 straight years, he expressed his pleasure and pride to work in an institution with such a strong foundational purpose.

"When we look at the founding story of Anadolu Agency, there are undoubtedly many lessons and inspirations for today as well. We are a news agency established 102 years ago to fight imperialism. Anatolia was saved, the homeland was saved. Are we to make no headway in 102 years? Are there no more places to be saved? Are there no more issues to be resolved? Will the fight against injustice only be on the country's surface? Not (at all)," he said.

He stressed that Anadolu Agency aims to carry its new vision and mission to the international arena with the existing team and new members who will join the agency.

"Fighting iniquity, injustice and human rights violations will now be at the international level as part of Anadolu Agency's mission," Karagoz added.

He underlined that they seek to reach this goal with a qualified and determined staff working together to attain the same objectives.

- International Operations Center

Karagoz said Anadolu Agency had renewed its infrastructure and is preparing to internationalize.

He went on to say that in the agency's 102nd year, it will "fight against injustice at the global level," and that as part of this internationalization strategy, it would soon open an International Operations Center in Istanbul, where all international operations will be conducted.

"We are an institution that informs, is reliable, but is also mission-driven," he said.

Karagoz voiced his excitement on the agency's editorship on the environment, as well as that on discrimination and its Fact Check Line project.

He underlined the importance of environmental issues and said that as a well-cited global reference, Anadolu Agency would be well-represented in international environmental fora.

Also drawing attention to the significance of fighting against discrimination, he said issues such as racism, Islamophobia, and gender inequality would be covered by expert reporters and editors.

On the Fact Check Line, Karagoz said the agency had launched this project as part of its mission against disinformation and manipulative news.