Turkey and South Africa hold strategic communication forums

The Turkish Presidency Directorate of Communications organized the STRATCOM Roundtable and Public Forum in South Africa under the theme ‘Building the Future Together: Turkey-South Africa Strategic Communication and Cooperation.’ The event brought together representatives from public institutions, international organizations, technology companies, think tanks, and academia.

Discussions focused on digital sovereignty, artificial intelligence governance, information integrity, combating disinformation, and crisis communication. Participants evaluated the multidimensional nature of digital sovereignty, including data, human resources, energy, local content, and regulatory capacity. The forum also explored cooperation opportunities between Turkey and South Africa in data governance, digital infrastructure, and local AI ecosystems.

A panel titled ‘Turkey-South Africa Strategic Communication Partnership: Capacity Building in AI, Crisis Communication, and Combating Disinformation’ was held during the forum. Speakers emphasized that disinformation is a matter of national security and governance rather than just a technical issue. Turkey’s Ambassador to Pretoria, Kezban Nilvana Darama Yıldırımgeç, highlighted the shared vision of both countries for a more balanced and inclusive international order and stressed the need for strengthened coordination against AI-driven risks.