Türkiye's state-run news agency, Anadolu Agency (AA), marked its 104th anniversary on Saturday as a group of its top executives, led by CEO and President Serdar Karagöz, visited the mausoleum of the country's founding father on the occasion.
Accompanied by Deputy General Directors Yusuf Özhan and Oğuz Enis Peru along with Anadolu staff, Karagöz laid a wreath inscribed "Anadolu Ajansi" at Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's final resting place in Anıtkabır.
Founded on April 6, 1920, amid the War of Independence, at Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's directive to uphold national unity and send "the voice of Anatolia to the world," Anadolu Agency (AA) soon began publishing its first bulletins and became the voice of the national struggle.
Yunus Nadi Abalıoğlu and Halide Edip Adıvar, two intellectuals supporting the Atatürk-led struggle, had proposed the idea of setting up a news agency to Atatürk and decided to name it after Anatolia, referring to the heartland of Türkiye.
After a moment of silence, the AA officials took a photo at the memorial and visited the Misak-i Milli Tower on its southeastern edge.
Karagöz wrote a message in the memorial book, highlighting AA's founding principles and mission.
He emphasized the agency's coverage of significant events, including global conflicts and natural disasters, as well as its documentation of Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
Karagöz also outlined AA's commitment to technological advancement, particularly in artificial intelligence and its goal to remain a media industry leader.
Marking the founding anniversary of Türkiye's leading news agency, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a message of congratulations to Karagöz.
"Anadolu Agency has fulfilled its duty of informing our people and the world public accurately and comprehensively, becoming the address of principled and reliable journalism. It also plays an important role as the voice of the oppressed all around the world," said Erdoğan.
The Presidency's director of communications, Fahrettin Altun, also marked AA's 104th year, calling the agency an "important component of our fight against disinformation on national, regional and global levels."
He added that AA is also "one of the most significant stakeholders in our goal, under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to make the 'Century of Türkiye' the 'Century of Communication.'"
"In today's communication world, where information security has declined as communication technology advances and the need for accurate information has risen, Anadolu Agency has become an indispensable address for reliable information," Altun said.
He further emphasized that today, AA has representative offices in 100 countries, offices in 41 locations and more than 1,750 staff, underlining that it has become one of the widest and most effective news networks in the world.
