TEHRAN – The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) announced on Sunday the start of operations of Press TV Turkey, causing great excitement within the Turkish-speaking community.
Peyman Cebbeli said that Press TV Turkey will start broadcasting from Sunday and that its success is expected to increase its status in Turkish-speaking countries, Mehr reported on Tuesday.
The IRIB Director stressed that important developments in foreign television networks should not be overlooked.
Mr. Geveri mentioned the strategic steps taken by IRIB’s overseas broadcasting division, highlighting the launch of Hispan TV in Brazil, aimed at Portuguese-speaking viewers.
“In this fierce global media competition, the role of the media has grown beyond that of military power, and our responsibilities have grown significantly,” he said.
“We must strategically expand our reach to global audiences and ensure our voices are heard even louder around the world,” he said.
Previously, Press TV launched channels in English, Arabic and Spanish, but is now venturing into Turkish programming to attract Turkish viewers.
The launch of the Turkish channel comes at a time when Press TV has primarily focused on these three languages for many years, perhaps following TRT Turkey’s recent launch of a Persian channel.
In October last year, Turkish state broadcaster TRT’s general director Mehmet Zahid Sobashi’s comments caused controversy. “We are confused and uncomfortable for Iran. We have to do this,” he said, adding that he will open a Persian channel as part of TRT’s expansion to 41 foreign languages by the end of the year. The plan was announced. These comments caused concern among the Iranian public.
In response, Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Seyyed Abbas Salehi, contacted Turkish officials and expressed concern about Sobác’s comments. He stressed the need for unity among Muslim countries amid regional tensions and the growing aggressiveness of the Zionist regime, calling for “such statements to be avoided.”
Foreign Minister Salehi welcomed Turkey’s efforts towards strengthening cultural ties, saying, “The fundamental foreign policy principle of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to strengthen relations with neighboring countries, and Turkey occupies an important position.” ”, he emphasized. He pointed to the strong political and cultural ties between the two countries and the opportunities for cooperation during the designated Iranian-Turkish Year of Culture.
Salehi said culture is an important basis for cooperation and urged the two countries to take advantage of their shared cultural resources. He acknowledged recent efforts in media cooperation and asserted that Iran is ready to strengthen these ties in a manner consistent with the interests of both countries.
During the dialogue, Falettin Altun, Director of Communications at the Turkish President’s Office, reiterated Turkey’s commitment to strengthening political and cultural ties with Iran. He noted the importance of promoting communication and mutual understanding between the two countries, and referred to the recent meeting between the two presidents, which emphasized expanded cooperation across all fields.
Altun expressed regret over Sobác’s comments and clarified that “any statement to the contrary has nothing to do with the thinking or approach of the Turkish president and his government.” He reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to friendship and cooperation with Iran and stressed that challenges can be resolved through dialogue. The dialogue ended with a mutual commitment to continued cooperation, taking into account media coverage and public sentiment.
SAB/