Türkiye and South Africa assessed opportunities for cooperation in digital sovereignty, AI governance, information integrity, combating disinformation and crisis communication.
At the STRATCOM Roundtable, held under the theme "Building the Future Together: Türkiye-South Africa Strategic Communication and Cooperation," participants noted that digital sovereignty is not limited to technological infrastructure but also encompasses data, human resources, energy, local content and regulatory capacity.
AI-generated disinformation on the agenda
The meeting addressed opportunities for joint work between the two countries in data governance, digital infrastructure, human resources, research and local AI ecosystems. Developing verification mechanisms against AI-assisted disinformation and strengthening media literacy were also among the issues discussed.
As part of the STRATCOM Public Forum, a panel titled "Türkiye-South Africa Strategic Communication Partnership: Capacity Building in AI, Crisis Communication and Combating Disinformation" was held under the moderation of Dr. Tunç Demirtaş, a foreign policy researcher at the SETA Foundation. Burhanettin Duran, Türkiye's Presidential Communications Director, also participated in the program via video message.
Speaking on the panel, Abdurrahman Babacan, an AK Party member of parliament from Malatya, said disinformation should not be viewed solely as a technical or technological problem. Babacan said the issue also had national security and governance dimensions, adding that effective crisis communication should be based on the rapid production, verification and delivery of accurate information to the public.
Kezban Nilvana Darama Yıldırımgeç, Türkiye's ambassador to Pretoria, said Türkiye and South Africa shared an approach favoring a more balanced and inclusive international order. Yıldırımgeç noted that verification and coordination should be strengthened against AI-related risks.
Kasım İleri, head of the Department of Strategic Communication and Crisis Management at the Presidential Communications Directorate, said capacities for the early detection of AI-generated disinformation, deepfakes and synthetic media, real-time verification, AI-assisted analysis and social media monitoring needed to be developed.
Opportunities for joint training and research
Carina Marais, responsible for G20 Heritage Institutional Partnerships at South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation, highlighted the strategic importance of knowledge management for Africa and the Global South. Marais stressed that the knowledge and experience gained during South Africa's G20 presidency should be assessed at the national level.
Dr. Linford Molaodi, a lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, said AI should be used in education to support learning and critical-thinking skills rather than replace students' thinking processes. Dr. Liaqat Azam, chief executive officer of Mandela AI Hub, said AI offered opportunities to reduce inequalities and support inclusive development.
Azam said there was potential for cooperation between Türkiye's technological and production capacity and South Africa's regional and international position. The program also assessed opportunities for joint training and capacity-building programs, experience sharing, media and AI literacy initiatives for young people, joint research projects and cooperation on digital infrastructure.
