Fighting against disinformation during disasters 'vital': Turkish official

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) – Fighting against disinformation during disasters is "vital" as it can exploit people's sensitivities, Türkiye's communications director said on Tuesday.

"Our state mobilized all its resources after each disaster. On the other hand, we have seen together how vital it is to inform the public transparently and to fight against disinformation during the disaster process," Fahrettin Altun said at a disaster communication workshop in the capital Ankara.

In addition to informing the public in an "accurate, fast, reliable, and transparent" manner, Türkiye has carried out studies to counter disinformation, he said.

"In disaster management processes, there may also be situations where people's sensitivities about the event can be abused and information pollution can occur. Unfortunately, systematic and organized disinformation, manipulation and smear campaign activities can increase in times of disaster," he added.

Türkiye has witnessed "unscrupulous" people trying to turn people's pain into a political material with "unrealistic illusions" in every disaster, Altun said.

"We have all seen that our public institutions and organizations try to eliminate the effects of disasters every time, while some tried to poison the processes with disinformation and lies," he added.