'TRT World born in reaction to current media mindset'

By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s first English-language news network, TRT World, was born in reaction to the current media mindset, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Wednesday.

Speaking at an international forum organized by the news network in Istanbul, the premier said TRT World was established to do "true journalism".

"TRT World was established [in 2015] to tell people the truth, and be the voice of those who cannot make their voices heard, through true journalism," Yildirim said. "In one sense, TRT World was born in protest of the existing media mindset."

"As a member of a political movement, and a country that has been subjected to great injustice in terms of journalism, I would like to express that in journalism, it is enough to just tell the truth," Yildirim added.

The prime minister said Turkey acted as the "conscience of the world" and would continue to do so.

"Turkey's mission is to serve the truth, and be the voice, mind and conscience of the oppressed. We see that TRT World is doing this in the best way globally," he added.

TRT World is hosting its first international forum in Istanbul till Thursday.

The forum aims to create an international platform where global issues are discussed and thoroughly analyzed.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be among those to address the forum.

Amongst the panelists are important names such as former Spanish premier Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Baroness Warsi, former minister of state in the U.K. and member of the House of Lords.

In total, TRT World is hosting 400 guests -- including scholars, politicians, journalists, NGO representatives and other members of civil society -- at the forum.