Türkiye and Syria agree 24-hour joint system to counter disinformation and boost coordination

Türkiye and Syria plan to establish a joint coordination system aimed at streamlining communication between the two countries and countering disinformation, a senior Turkish official said on Thursday.

According to Ferhat Pirinçci, deputy director of communications at the Turkish Presidency, the system will serve as a “bridge” between Ankara and Damascus by providing a round-the-clock channel of communication.

Pirinçci made the announcement following a visit to the Syrian capital by a high-level Turkish delegation. The delegation included Nuh Yılmaz, Türkiye’s ambassador to Syria and officials from the Turkish Communications Directorate.

While in Damascus, the delegation met Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mustafa to discuss joint efforts to strengthen cooperation between Turkish and Syrian state institutions.

Sectarian violence concerns

After the meeting, Yılmaz said Syria was in a critical transition period following more than a decade of conflict, during which it had often been subjected to what he described as “intense disinformation campaigns”.

Such campaigns, he added, had been particularly intense in relation to Syria’s fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and recent bouts of sectarian violence in the country’s coastal regions.

Yılmaz said this week’s meeting in Damascus had addressed ways of combating disinformation through training initiatives, capacity building and improved communication between Türkiye and Syria.

According to Turkish officials, the two sides also discussed cooperation on media strategies, narrative management and public diplomacy during periods of heightened tension.

Pirinçci described the visit as a “critical step” towards improving bilateral communication and enhancing joint efforts to counter disinformation.

The most significant outcome of the meeting, he added, was the agreement to launch a clearly defined communication system that would allow the two friendly nations to remain in constant contact.

Further technical work will be carried out in the coming period to formalise the planned system and determine its operational framework, Turkish officials said.

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