Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran assessed the effects of digitalization on public administration and state-citizen relations at the “Public Communication in the Digital Age” program held at the Directorate of Communications.
Duran said the program aimed to present a vision for the future of public communication and provide a stronger foundation for public institutions’ digital transformation. He said major transformations begin with changes in the way people relate to information, truth and one another, adding that the printing press transformed access to information, the Industrial Revolution changed modes of production, and radio and television transformed mass communication.
Digital technologies are reshaping public administration
Duran said digital technologies and artificial intelligence were reshaping not only communication tools but also ways of thinking, decision-making processes and the functioning of public administration, noting that the process was more than a simple technological renewal.
Duran said states must now protect not only their physical borders but also their digital assets, information security and spaces of truth. He stressed that power cannot be measured solely by economic capacity, military capabilities or technological superiority, emphasizing the importance of the ability to produce accurate information, possess reliable information and communicate with society on the basis of trust.
Duran said public communication was one of the complementary elements and strategic pillars of state administration, adding that communication was an integral part of public service. He said poorly functioning communication processes could disrupt the flow of information, while disinformation and manipulation could damage trust between citizens and the public administration.
“We cannot limit communication with citizens to a single channel”
Duran said citizens experience public services not only in service buildings but also on digital platforms, announcing that Türkiye had approximately 62.3 million active social media users according to 2026 digital media usage data. He said this figure corresponds to 70.9 percent of the total population.
Duran said public administrators must be present wherever citizens are and on every platform they use, adding that communication channels must be kept open and active. He said the social media accounts of public institutions were not merely spaces for making announcements, describing them as windows through which citizens see the state.
Duran said citizens in Türkiye could communicate with the state whenever they wished. Referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s assessment that communication between society and public administration had reached a more mature level, Duran said preserving and improving this positive picture placed responsibility on public administrators and communication professionals.
Disinformation and artificial intelligence risks
Duran said digitalization offered significant opportunities for public administration but also created new responsibilities. He said information could reach millions of people within seconds, adding that the same speed could also facilitate the spread of false information, manipulation and disinformation.
Duran said advances in artificial intelligence technologies had moved the communication ecosystem into a new phase. He identified images that are difficult to distinguish from reality, synthetic audio recordings and information flows directed by algorithms among the main challenges in the field of communication. Duran said disinformation was no longer merely a matter of misinformation and could affect public order, social peace and national security.
Duran said the 2025 Global Risks Report identified disinformation as one of the short-term global risks and projected that it could become one of the greatest global risks by 2027. He said disinformation could turn into organized activity targeting economic stability, deepening social polarization and weakening the bond of trust between the state and the nation.
Social media guide introduced
Duran said the “Social Media Guide for Provincial and District Governors” introduced at the program had been prepared to contribute to public-sector culture. He said the guide included technical advice on social media use and provided a framework for the common communication culture that public administration needs in the digital age.
Duran said risk communication and crisis communication were addressed together in the guide, adding that institutions’ communication capacity, as well as their operational capacity, was tested during crises. He said information gaps could be filled with rumors and disinformation, noting that the fundamental principle of crisis communication was to deliver accurate information to citizens at the right time and in the right manner.
Coordination among public institutions
Duran said the Presidential Communications Directorate was carrying out efforts to strengthen healthy communication between citizens and the state, adding that it was acting in coordination with relevant public institutions, particularly the Ministry of Interior. He said joint projects, training programs and guidebooks had been implemented to strengthen strategic communication capacity.
Duran said citizens could directly convey their requests, views and suggestions to the public administration through CİMER. He said the Center for Combating Disinformation monitored false and misleading information on digital platforms, adding that publications such as the “New Communication Technologies and Family Handbook,” “Accurate Journalism and Media Ethics” and “Social Media Usage Guide” aimed to promote conscious, safe and responsible use in the digital world.
