Western Thrace Minority journalists honored: Three names featured in “Breaking News: Our Story”
Three journalists from the Western Thrace Turkish Minority were featured in the new book “Breaking News: Our Story – We Saw, We Lived, We Wrote,” marking a significant achievement for the region. The book, prepared by the Reporters Association, brings together the field experiences and professional memories of 42 journalists from across Türkiye and was launched at an event held in Ankara.
Three Western Thrace journalists included
Representing Western Thrace in the publication are:
Necat Ahmet – TRT Correspondent, Director of Çınar FM, and columnist for Millet Newspaper
Ozan Ahmetoğlu – Editor of Gündem Newspaper
Hasan Hasan – Staff member of Gündem Newspaper
As Ozan Ahmetoğlu and Hasan Hasan were unable to attend the event, their awards were received on their behalf by Necat Ahmet. Ahmet's personal award was presented by Presidential Chief Advisor Yalçın Topçu, highlighting the growing recognition and visibility of Western Thracian journalists within Türkiye’s media landscape.
“Artificial intelligence cannot capture the soul of reporting”
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Interior Bülent Turan emphasized the human-centered nature of journalism, stating:
“You can feed data into artificial intelligence and get a text back, but reporting has a soul.
AI can never convey the excitement of a battlefield, the sweat at the scene of a fire, or the feeling of following a meeting for hours.
Whatever name intelligence takes, journalism will not disappear.”
The event began with a moment of silence for fallen journalists, followed by the Turkish national anthem. High-level attendees included Deputy Minister of Interior Bülent Turan, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Batuhan Mumcu, Presidential Chief Advisor Yalçın Topçu, and Etimesgut District Governor Özlem Bozkurt Gevrek.
Meaningful environmental initiative: 200 saplings
Alongside the awards, an important environmental project was announced. Through a protocol between the Reporters Association and the Öz Orman-İş Union, 200 saplings will be planted on January 10, marking Working Journalists’ Day. The campaign was welcomed as a symbolic gesture linking journalism to social responsibility.
Significance for Western Thrace
The inclusion of three Western Thrace journalists in a nationwide project underscores the region’s growing professionalism, productivity, and influence in the field of media. Their participation in this prominent publication is seen as an important milestone for the Western Thrace Turkish Minority.
