Communication management vital in times of disaster: Turkish official

Communication management is important in times of disaster such as the one which Türkiye experienced on Feb. 6 in the form of twin earthquakes, the Turkish communications director said on Tuesday.

"Undoubtedly, the management of communication during disasters and emergencies is extremely vital [as] the disaster of the century has shown us," Fahrettin Altun said at the Stratcom Disaster Communication Forum in the capital Ankara.

Both ensuring the partnership and coordination between institutions, informing the public in a quick and transparent manner, and fighting against disinformation constituted a "very important" aspect of the entire process, he added.

"Along with preparation, response, resilience, and improvement, we see communication as one of the priority planning areas for disaster periods," he said.

Altun said it is also important to integrate new-generation approaches, such as artificial intelligence, into disaster management.

Stressing that international cooperation and solidarity are important aspects of disaster management, Altun said: "At the Stratcom Disaster Communication Forum, we will have the opportunity to listen to the experiences and observations of national and international teams that saved lives in search and rescue efforts during the disaster of the century."

The two-day forum, with the theme of Preparedness, Response and Recovery, is featuring 54 speakers from 14 countries and a distinguished audience of over 2,000.

The event will address several topics such as risk communication, combating disinformation, technology applications in crisis management, and media ethics.

Nine panels, including Media Panel on Disaster Line, and We are with you Türkiye: Panel on International Solidarity during Disasters, are scheduled.