Twenty-two trainees, nine of whom were from AA, from eight countries completed the training program designed to prepare operational correspondents to cover conflicts, disasters, and emergencies.

The certificate ceremony was held at the AA Atölye on the premises of the Anadolu Ajansı General Directorate.

In her speech at the ceremony, AA Academy Manager Dr. Zeynep Bayramoğlu Öztürk congratulated the trainees who successfully completed their training.

Noting that 632 local and foreign journalists have undergone this training over 28 terms, Öztürk said:

"Now, as trainees of the 29th term, you too have become members of this strong family. Over the course of 12 days, we conducted an intensive program covering a wide range of topics, from journalism to personal safety, war terminology to first aid, advanced driving techniques to survival in water. Thanks to this intensive program, you have personally experienced the skills required for journalism under extraordinary conditions."

“It contributes to international solidarity”

Öztürk, noting that the AA Academy will continue to share knowledge and experience not only with its own correspondents but also with journalists from various countries around the world, said, "In this way, it also contributes to international solidarity. “We would like to thank the Police Academy and TIKA, as well as the Turkish Armed Forces and AFAD, and our valued instructors for their contributions. However, our greatest thanks go to you, our valued trainees, who have successfully completed this intensive and challenging program. I wish you all success in your professional careers and, as part of the AA Academy family, I hope your path remains open.”

Fatih İnal, First-Class Police Commissioner and Deputy Director of the Police Academy, also thanked Anadolu Ajansı and TİKAI for their support of the training program.

İnal said, “We have reached the end of the 29th term, but during a break, Mrs. Zeynep mentioned right after this term, ‘the 30th term.’ God willing, in the 30th session as well, we will strive to share our organization’s accumulated knowledge—which spans 181 years, as it is a long-standing organization with a history predating the Republic—with our new journalist friends. We are working to simulate not only battlefield conditions but also challenging environments for our trainees."

“A unity of destiny”

TIKA Deputy Chairman Dr. Ali Ercan also stated that war journalism is not only a profession but also a “duty to bear witness to the truth” in the name of humanity.

Ercan said, “We were deeply pleased to witness how prepared, committed, and determined you were to fulfill this duty during this intense and challenging period you have left behind.”

Ercan, noting that the trainees did not merely receive theoretical training over the course of two weeks, said the following:

"Under the guidance of the expert staff at our Police Academy and Anadolu Ajansı, you underwent physical and psychological tests that pushed your limits. You have acquired vital reflexes and skills that will guide you on the fine line between life and death at the most critical moments in the field. However, there is something else this training has given you that is just as valuable as this technical expertise: a shared memory and an unbreakable bond of friendship. You, the esteemed media professionals, who come from a vast landscape of hearts stretching from the Balkans to Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, have shared the trenches, the harsh conditions, and most importantly, a unity of destiny here."

Ercan, noting that this training program brought together AA’s global experience spanning over a century on the field with the Police Academy’s institutional expertise at the international level, stated, “As TIKA, we are delighted to be a partner in this visionary project and to bring this experience to friendly regions. Esteemed members of the press, these certificates do not merely document an educational achievement. They serve as a testament to your readiness to amplify the voices of the oppressed—wherever there is oppression or crisis in the world—in a stronger and, most importantly, safe and sound manner.”

Among the trainees was Mustafa Mert Karaca, a reporter at the AA Istanbul News Management, who noted that throughout the training they not only gained professional knowledge but also rediscovered the importance of resilience, team spirit, discipline, and the value of human life, stating, “Thanks to our expert police officers, soldiers, and instructors, we had the opportunity to learn both theoretically and practically how to act in situations of war, disasters, and emergencies.”

Referring to the training they received, Karaca added, “At times we were physically challenged, and at other times we had to make quick decisions under stress. However, all of this demonstrated to us firsthand just how serious a responsibility war journalism is.

“The training we receive here is also part of a moral responsibility”

Noting that war journalism is not just about chasing a story—but sometimes about bearing witness to people’s most difficult moments, sometimes about being the voice of the voiceless, and sometimes about recording history—Karaca added:

“The training we receive here is not only professional but also part of a moral responsibility. It was also particularly meaningful that 22 people from 8 different countries gathered here today around a common purpose. We came from different languages and cultures, yet we shared the same field, the same challenges, and the same excitement. I believe the friendships and solidarity forged during this process will endure for many years to come. I hope we never have to use what we’ve learned here in real combat situations. However, if our duty ever leads us into difficult conditions, we know that the training we received here will help us perform our duties properly and save lives."

Among the participants, Ukrainian journalist Karina Piliuhina also said that the program is one of the most comprehensive and professional journalism training programs in the world.

Piliuhina said, “Over 12 intense days, we learned how to work during protests and riots, how to survive in water and wilderness conditions, how to protect ourselves, and how to operate in areas under bombardment, with drones, and in minefields. We learned how to assess risks, make decisions under pressure, and provide first aid. But most importantly, this knowledge was not just theoretical—it was practical.”

The ceremony concluded after the participants were awarded their certificates.