Anadolu Agency’s language and news network strengthens

By Satuk Bugra Kutlugun

ANKARA (AA) - After expanding its broadcasting language services to 13 this week by launching Indonesian and Spanish, Anadolu Agency will soon strengthen its news network even more with offices in Malaysia and China.

On Oct. 23, the agency launched a news service in Indonesian and opened its Pacific Central Office in the capital Jakarta, and on Thursday it launched its 13th language service -- Spanish -- in Colombia.

Anadolu Agency became the only international news agency to run an Indonesian-language news service with the opening of its Indonesian bureau, an event attended by the agency's Deputy Director-General Mustafa Ozkaya and many distinguished guests.

For the launch of the Spanish-language service in the capital Bogota, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos received a Turkish delegation including Metin Mutanoglu, Anadolu Agency's deputy director-general and editor-in-chief, and Turkish Ambassador Engin Yurur at the presidential palace.

- New offices in Kuala Lumpur, Beijing

With content in 13 languages, Anadolu Agency is serving subscribers in 45 countries worldwide with a network of correspondents in 86 countries. The agency is also preparing to open offices in Malaysia and China.

Chairman of the Board and Director General Senol Kazanci said the agency was established nearly 100 years ago to bring the voice of Anatolia to the world and was taking "firm steps" to strengthen its global news network.

Kazanci said, “We have taken two major steps forward with the Indonesian news service in Jakarta, and now AA has begun to publish news in 13 languages. We are making our news activities in the Asia-Pacific region stronger with our offices in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Beijing, China”.

Stressing the importance of the Indonesian and Spanish services, he said: "As our news domain expands, our opportunity to deliver important news reliably and quickly on a global scale has increased as well."

He went on to say that just as it has up to now, the agency will continue to be the voice of "the oppressed" today and in the future.

Currently posting news in Turkish, English, Arabic, French, the Kurdish dialects of Kurmanji and Sorani, Russian, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), Albanian, Persian, and Macedonian, Anadolu Agency is considered among the most active news agencies in the world.

With its 97 years of experience and a strong network of correspondents in 86 countries, Anadolu Agency delivers over 1,384 news per day, an average of 4,000 images, 400 videos, and 6 infographics to its subscribers worldwide.

Established during the first years of the Turkish War of Independence on April 6, 1920 as one of Turkey’s first national institutions, Anadolu Agency will expand its news network and power around the world with the new language services and central offices.