ANKARA
Anadolu Agency, Turkey's state news agency, will celebrate its 94th anniversary on April 6.
Established during Turkey's nationwide struggle for independence in 1920, AA aims to become one of the top five news agencies in the world by its centenary.
Toward this end, it is launching a French wire service in Tunisia on Sunday, in line with the agency's goal of expanding its international reach.
On Saturday, Turkey's President Abdullah Gul sent a message to Anadolu Agency’s Director General and Chairman of the Board Kemal Ozturk, congratulating him and the AA staff.
Gul praised AA's multilingual wire services and said he was "pleased to see Anadolu Agency increasing its productivity with its broad communications network and technological capabilities."
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said AA was an "extremely important news agency that has the power to make an impact on a global scale."
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc, responsible for public media institutions, said he was proud of where AA stands today and expressed confidence the agency would reach its centenary goals.
"We are taking concrete steps towards (the goals)," Arinc said. "The agency has attained a very high standing today."
With an international network spanning sixty-five countries, Anadolu Agency provides its subscribers with 1,850 news stories, 1,500 photos and 300 videos every day.
It offers wire services in Turkish, English, Arabic, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, Russian, Kurdish, and soon in French.
The agency runs a News Academy, training a new generation of journalists in fields such as diplomacy, finance and energy. It also offers training programs in photojournalism, videography and multimedia reporting.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
