Turkish comms chief says wars now fought through screens, perceptions

Türkiye’s communications chief said Sunday that establishing an information ecosystem based on accurate, verified and reliable data is among the country’s top priorities, warning that modern conflicts are increasingly being fought not only on battlefields but also through screens, perceptions and public narratives.

Burhanettin Duran, head of Türkiye’s Communications Directorate, made the remarks at the closing session of the Muslim Impact Forum 2026 in Istanbul, where he said the world was undergoing a deep transformation marked by wars, genocide, pandemics and weakening trust in international institutions.

Duran said the international system had reached a critical threshold, arguing that institutions once seen as the backbone of global order no longer offer a clear vision for the future.

“We are truly passing through a turning point,” he said. “But the main issue is that the international community and the institutions once regarded as the backbone of the global system do not have a clear forward-looking vision.”

He noted that one sign of the current crisis was that major powers were increasingly unwilling to assume major responsibilities. In many cases, he added, the founders of the old system had become its main disruptors.

Duran stressed international institutions created to preserve stability and resolve conflicts had become increasingly ineffective, while crimes against humanity had either been committed or tolerated.

Against that backdrop, he said the Communications Directorate views the creation of a trusted information environment as one of its most urgent goals.

“In today’s climate of growing uncertainty in the international system, wars are no longer fought only on the front line, but also in minds, on screens and through perceptions,” Duran said. “Fake videos, manipulated content and organized propaganda networks now form the new front lines of conflicts.”

He said strategic communication must be considered alongside crisis management and conflict zones, adding that Türkiye, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was working to strengthen its capacity to manage information rationally, shape the future and counter perception operations.

Duran noted that Türkiye had recognized the shortcomings of the international system earlier than many other actors because of its geography and history, and had repeatedly called for reform.

He cited crises ranging from Iraq and Syria to the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, Ukraine, the Iranian nuclear issue and Gaza, saying Türkiye had played roles as a mediator and peace-oriented actor.

He reminded Erdoğan’s phrase “The world is bigger than five” as a direct response to what Türkiye sees as injustice, imbalance and dysfunction at the center of the global order.

Duran said Muslim countries and societies had little influence in shaping the international order established 80 years ago and that global institutions did not adequately reflect their values, traditions or experiences. As a result, he said, Muslim societies became actors expected to adopt norms rather than set them.

He called on Muslim societies to reclaim their own narratives through cooperation between states, civil society, academics, journalists, artists and citizens.

Duran said digital literacy, verification mechanisms and institutions fighting disinformation were now essential in countering Islamophobia, prejudice and hate campaigns.

“If we cannot tell our own story, others will continue to tell it on our behalf,” he said. “And if others tell our story, they will also define our place in the world.”

DAILYSABAH