Anadolu Ajansı (AA) held the closing and certification ceremony for the fourth term of its “GreenLens: Environmental and Climate Journalism Training” project, which aims to provide international media professionals with basic knowledge on climate and environmental journalism.

Coordinated by AA, with the support of the European Union (EU) and the Turkish National Agency, and with contributions from Ankara University's National Research Center for Maritime Law, Station de Jeunesse from France, the POLIS Institute from North Macedonia, EDITURA ERUYSAL SRL from Romania, and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), the closing and certification ceremony for the project was held at AAtölye.

Speaking at the program’s closing ceremony, AA Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Oğuz Enis Peru noted that the fourth training session organized as part of the GreenLens project had been successfully completed, adding that this marked the achievement of one of the key milestones of two years of intensive effort.

Peru noted that GreenLens holds special significance for the agency as it is AA’s first European Union-supported project, and that the project represents a new beginning and a strong step forward in terms of international cooperation.

Recalling that AA was founded 106 years ago on the instructions of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Peru noted that the AA continues to fulfill its mission of reporting the changing world today.

“We view sharing knowledge as an integral part of our institutional responsibilities.”

Peru noted that AA operates in 137 countries through its global network of correspondents and ranks among the leading news agencies on an international scale with 36 offices and centers. He added that the agency provides news services to a wide geographic area by publishing in 14 languages.

Peru emphasized that AA does not merely produce news but also possesses a strong academic identity that contributes to the development of journalism.

Peru emphasized that the work carried out by AA Publications and AA Academy is followed not only in Türkiye but also around the world, noting that the training programs organized—both national and international—bring together journalists, communications professionals, and young communications practitioners from various countries.

Peru pointed out that they view shared knowledge as an integral part of their institutional responsibilities, stating, “GreenLens is one of the most concrete examples of this approach. As one of our pioneering educational initiatives in the field of environmental journalism on a global scale, this project was designed to ensure that the climate crisis and environmental issues are reported accurately, scientifically, and responsibly. Within the scope of the project, four training programs were conducted over a two-year period. We had the opportunity to bring together over 100 participants with leading experts in environmental journalism,” he said.

Highlighting that the impact of the GreenLens project will not be limited to the completion of the training programs, Peru noted that a system will be launched in the coming days allowing over a thousand people to access the training content for free online, and that the work carried out under the project will be compiled into an e-book to reach a wider audience.

“It has become a strategic priority”

Oğuz Enis Peru noted that AA views environmental and climate issues as key topics on the news agenda, stating:

"The Greenline initiative we launched here at our agency is also a key indicator of this approach. The GreenLens project, meanwhile, was an international educational initiative within our sphere of responsibility. A foundation was established that will contribute to the development of environmental and climate journalism beyond borders. Our project is a natural outcome of AA’s vision for international journalism and its institutional development. AA has made it a strategic priority to create shared value with global stakeholders, strengthen knowledge sharing, and contribute to the advancement of journalistic standards within the framework of EU projects."

Peru stated that they aim to bring the body of knowledge generated through the GreenLens project to a broader platform—with the participation of academia, the media, public institutions, and international organizations—via the Environment Forum planned for the end of the year. He added that the results obtained upon the project’s completion will also shed light on the work to be carried out for the second phase of GreenLens.

“Combating climate change requires shared responsibility”

Uğur Tanyeli, TİKA Director of the Department of Foreign Relations and Partnerships, also noted that the climate crisis has now become a global issue affecting every aspect of daily life, that environmental changes occurring in different regions of the world impact all countries, and that, for this reason, combating climate change requires shared responsibility.

Noting that members of the press have played a significant role in raising public awareness, increasing understanding, and communicating environmental policies to the public during this process, Tanyeli stated that the GreenLens project is a valuable initiative launched at just the right time to strengthen journalists’ knowledge and awareness in the field of environmental journalism.

Tanyeli noted that TİKA carries out projects in various fields—primarily health, education, agriculture, and restoration—in many countries around the world, and added that the agency has also reshaped its project approach to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Following the speeches, certificates were presented to the participants by Ümit Kasum from the Embassy of North Macedonia in Ankara; Oğuz Enis Peru, AA Vice President & Chief Operating Officer; Uğur Tanyeli, TİKA Director of the Department of Foreign Relations and Partnerships; Hakan Güvenlioğlu, AA Project Manager; and Mehmet Alaca, AA Academy Deputy Manager.

The program ended with a photo shoot.