Azerbaijani reporters conclude war journalism training in Turkey

By Aybuke Inal Kamaci

ANKARA (AA) - Some 22 Azerbaijani reporters on Friday concluded their training at the 18th war journalism program conducted in coordination with Anadolu Agency, Turkey's state-run aid agency, and police academy.

Organized as part of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA)'s Correspondent Training Program and with the contributions of the Azerbaijan Media Development Agency, the 12-day event aimed to boost the abilities of reporters to operate and survive in conflict zones and emergency situations.

The successful graduates of the program were awarded internationally recognized certificates on the Police Academy premises in the capital Ankara.

Speaking at the ceremony, Turkish police chief Mehmet Aktas emphasized the importance of ensuring security under extraordinary conditions while keeping the public informed, adding that "the most key role" in preventing achievements in the field from being overshadowed by "black propaganda and impure perception" falls to members of the press.

Aktas also voiced his pleasure training media representatives from the "friendly and brotherly country" of Azerbaijan, with which Turkey's cooperation strengthens in every field under the principle "two states, one nation" -- a notion and slogan of Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev.

He also noted that reporters are at the forefront in informing the public under all circumstances, including in times of war, crisis, and natural disaster.

"For this reason, you, who fulfill a very important task in telling the truth to the world, received not only war journalism training, but also training in survival under difficult circumstances," he said.

He went on to say that during the training program, the journalists also gained experience in how press members working in extraordinary situations perform their jobs, how they ensure their own safety, and how accurate news should be reported to the world.

"The training also facilitates international cooperation and exchange of experience, and positively support the professional development process," Aktas added.

- 'Such training necessity in this geography'

During his speech at the ceremony, Anadolu Agency's Director-General Serdar Karagoz shared the latest data on journalists who lost their lives while performing their duties.

From March 2011 to May 3, 2020, the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria and Iran-backed terrorist groups killed 551 journalists, with 22 killed in air attacks. In addition, he said 64 were killed in attacks by the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group, along with 33 in attacks by YPG/PKK terrorists.

Karagoz noted that there are currently 422 captive media representatives in the region.

Underlining how difficult it is to perform journalism in the field, Karagoz said sometimes reporters may "get carried away" in the pursuit of news, which may lead to their death or capture.

He said that four Anadolu Agency reporters also lost their lives during the Syrian war, while over 30 journalists were killed in Afghanistan, 455 journalists in Iraq since 2003, some 14 in Libya during 2011-2019, and 46 in Palestine as a result of Israeli attacks.

"This is an indication of why the profession of journalism is so tough and difficult," he added.

Referring to the recent war between Armenia and Azerbaijan the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Karagoz highlighted that three Azerbaijani nationals were killed by mines laid in the Kalbajar region, while another four "Azerbaijani brothers" were injured.

"The lives of us, journalists, are at great risk, not just in times of war, but also after the war," he said.

Karagoz said that apart from the soldiers and police, journalists lost their lives the most, but still continue "to reveal the truth to the world, take pictures of massacres, and fight for truth and righteousness despite those who are disturbed by their news."

He said that being a press member in this region requires such training, which has been designed in a way that journalists can learn to survive under all conditions and fulfill their duties in the best possible way.

- 'Sacred, divine responsibility'

For his part, Yilmaz Colak, the head of Turkey's Police Academy, stressed how the Armenian forces devastated the lands of Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as Upper Karabakh, and its surrounding areas -- internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory.

He said the views and images from the recently liberated Azerbaijani territories showed how the 30-year occupation turned almost everything there desolate, with even mosques and cemeteries being destroyed.

Since regaining its independence in 1991, Azerbaijan has had tense relations with neighboring Armenia, as the latter's military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, and seven adjacent regions.

When new clashes erupted on Sept. 27, 2020, during the 44-day conflict, Azerbaijan liberated several cities and nearly 300 settlements and villages from the nearly three-decade occupation.

"In addition, we witnessed together that nearly 100 innocent civilians were martyred as a result of the attacks carried out by Armenia," Colak said, adding that reporters had a "sacred" responsibility of conveying those truths to the world.

Colak also emphasized that they have so far trained 399 media people from 39 different countries as part of the program.

- Strengthening relations

Ugur Tanyeli, a senior official of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), said that the media is among the main fields through which relations and technical cooperation could be strengthened between the "friendly and brotherly" countries.

He said TIKA planned to hold the war journalism training program right after the second Karabakh War last year, but was only able to conduct the program in August due to the restrictions in Turkey related to the coronavirus pandemic.

"We hope that the training you have received here will help you to explain the just cause of Azerbaijan to the public opinion of the world. We want this training to also contribute to your practice in peaceful conditions in non-war days," said Tanyeli.

A video presentation on the training was screened at the end of the ceremony.

*Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev