ANKARA
M Bilal Kenasari
For the first time in its history of nine decades, Turkey’s Anadolu Agency (AA) broadcast directly from the polling stations, yet was criticized for supporting Turkey’s ruling AK Party, according to a press release from the Agency.
By the time country-wide results had come in AA was shown to have been accurate in its reporting.
The results the following day from the Highest Election Committee (YSK) tallied with what AA had reported.
AA offices received threatening phone calls and emails, the campaign against AA called for people to raid AA’s offices all around Turkey.
AA pointed out that, the agency was under attack throughout the election process, and broadcasting slowed down for about 3 hours due to such attacks.
AA stressed its disappointment regarding the baseless manipulation claims. It added that, as a media organization, AA cannot change the results of an election.
Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc on Wednesday dismissed allegations against Anadolu Agency.
"Why would AA manipulate anything in favour of a party? These are all part of a smear campaign we strongly reject," he said.
"This is all just speculation and an effort to undermine our agency and the election results," he added.
In the run up to the election, CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaorglu said "we do not trust AA".
Media-İş union chairman, Gursel Eser responded by saying: "we are calling on Kilicdaroglu to apologize for such comments towards AA workers".
Agency said, we are national news agency, and equal to all political parties, and AA is not on any parties side.
Arinc said, "Our national news agency provided the results directly from the polling stations for the first time in its history. When the results came out, we saw how accurate these results were."
AA also that, the conflict between the political parties should not involve AA, who is walking towards to become one of the World-wide brand that represents Turkey. Thus AA asked all political organizaions to back the agency for such porpuse.
Anadolu Agency has 18 regional and 57 global offices and is planning to increase the number of its global offices to 80 by 2020. The agency is broadcasting in Turkish, English, Arabic, Russian, BSC (Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian) and Kurdish. French service started test broadcasting on 3rd February and the agency will launch French language on 6th April 2014 and Albanian language later this year. As being a part of its centennial vision, Anadolu Agency plans to broadcast in 11 languages by 2020.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
