By Firdevs Yuksel and Hale Turkes
ANKARA (AA) – Two dozen international journalists on Friday graduated from Anadolu Agency’s energy journalism training program.
The 10-day program was organized by Anadolu Agency’s News Academy in collaboration with the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).
Twenty-four journalists from Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Somalia, Sudan and Tunisia were trained by Turkish experts and academics on energy as well as Anadolu Agency editors from energy desk in Ankara.
The 78-hour program comprised of theoretical and practical courses on energy economy, diplomacy, security and law, regional energy policies and energy reporting.
The training was in Arabic language, while simultaneous translation was provided for courses in Turkish language.
As part of the graduation ceremony, TIKA’s Vice President Mehmet Sureyya Er and Anadolu Agency’s Foreign Languages Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Ozturk awarded the participants with certificates.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ozturk told the participants that they had a “prestigious” certificate.
“Because Anadolu Agency grows in prestige day by day, not only in Turkey, but all around the world,” Ozturk said.
Also requesting the participants to keep in touch with Anadolu Agency and TIKA, Ozturk said: “The better we know each other, the lesser we make mistakes.”
Er thanked Anadolu Agency for the cooperation.
Also speaking at the ceremony, News Academy’s Deputy Coordinator Hayri Cetinkus said Turkey wants media organizations in Africa and Middle East to report independently from global news agencies.
Jamel Romdhane, a Palestinian participant, praised the program, saying what he learned during the training was valuable.
“I would like to thank TIKA, Anadolu Agency and Turkey on behalf of all my colleagues,” he said.
