Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran spoke at the opening of the session titled "Who is in Control in the Algorithmic Age? Companies, States, Citizens" held on the second day of TRT World Forum 2026. Evaluating the effects of digital platforms on access to information, journalism and social life, Duran said that algorithms are increasingly at the center of decision-making mechanisms. Stating that the future of the digital world cannot be left only to technology companies and states, Duran pointed out the importance of the principles of accountability, justice and pluralism.
"JOURNALISM CANNOT SURVIVE ONLY ON VISIBILITY"
Touching on the problems faced by journalism with digital transformation, Duran stated that in the past, editors played a decisive role in the publication of news, but today this task has increasingly passed to algorithms.
Duran stated that a journalist can work for weeks to verify his news, but after the news is published, algorithms decide how many people it will reach, said:
"The platform profits from this attention. Artificial intelligence can summarize the research without specifying the source. While readers access the information, the newsroom that produced that information suffers financial difficulties. The news is now accessible with a single click. So who will pay for the reporter reporting from a conflict zone? Who will pay for the editor working behind the scenes?"
Duran emphasized that journalism cannot survive with visibility alone and said that independence, financial support and strong professional principles are needed.
"THE DIGITAL WORLD IS BIGGER THAN A FULL OF TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES"
Pointing out that young generations are increasingly learning about their history and cultural heritage through digital platforms, Duran stated that it is a significant problem for algorithms to determine which information to highlight.
Duran said, "Technology companies say users are in charge. They choose what to watch, read or share. But how free can this choice be when algorithms have already decided what will appear on our screens?" he said.
Stating that technology companies control large amounts of data and have a power that goes beyond the borders of countries, Duran said that for Türkiye, the issue is also a matter of digital sovereignty.
Reminding President Erdoğan's saying "The world is bigger than five", Duran said, "The digital world is bigger than a handful of technology companies. It belongs to people from different nations, cultures and languages."
THREE BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR ALGORITHMS
Stating that three basic principles are needed for the digital world to become more fair and inclusive, Duran listed them as accountability, justice in algorithmic distribution and pluralism.
Emphasizing that technology companies should take responsibility for their decisions, Duran asked for more transparency in the functioning of algorithms. He said users should be able to find out why their content is being restricted and appeal decisions they find unfair.
Referring to the principle of justice in algorithmic distribution, Duran stated that a digital order in which some content reaches millions of people while others gain almost no visibility cannot be accepted.
Duran stated that the digital world should reflect the diversity of different nations, cultures and languages, and said that no single country, culture or company should dominate this field.
"DISINFORMATION IS STRENGTHENED WHEN THE TRUTH IS MADE INVISIBLE"
Referring to the journalism activities carried out by TRT and Anadolu Agency in different languages, Duran stated that these institutions contribute to the delivery of reliable information to different parts of the world by combating disinformation.
Drawing attention to the dangers faced by journalists working in Gaza, Duran reminded Anadolu Agency freelance cameraman Montaser Al-Sawaf, who lost his life in Israel's air strike, and TRT Arabi cameraman Sami Şehade, who was seriously injured and lost his right leg.
Duran stated that the news and images shared from Gaza were removed, restricted or labeled as sensitive content on digital platforms and made the following statements:
"We often think of disinformation as the spread of false news. But what happens when the truth itself is obscured? What happens when journalists risk their lives to gather evidence, but algorithms prevent their work from reaching the public? Disinformation becomes even more powerful when the truth is made invisible."
At the end of his speech, Duran emphasized that the control over algorithms should remain in the hands of people and said, "The future should remain in the hands of people. It should remain in the hands of people who can reason, defend the truth and take responsibility for their choices, people with these abilities. Instead of surrendering our direction to algorithms, we should give a humane and ethical direction to algorithms."
