Fahrettin Altun facts for kids

Fahrettin Altun, born on September 11, 1976, in Stuttgart, Germany, is a well-known Turkish politician and academic. He was in charge of media and communications for the Turkish presidency from 2018 until July 2025.

Early Life and Education

Fahrettin Altun began his studies at Istanbul University, where he focused on Sociology. He graduated from this program in 1998. Later, he spent time as a visiting researcher at the University of Utah in the United States, studying Political Sciences between 2002 and 2003.

Advanced Studies

After his time in the U.S., Altun continued his education at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. He then earned his PhD from Istanbul University in 2006. His advanced studies helped him become an expert in media and communication. He also worked as a coordinator for SETA, a Turkish government research group.

Professional Career

Before his political role, Fahrettin Altun had a busy career in universities and media. He led the Department of Communication at Istanbul Şehir University from 2008 to 2014. After that, he taught at Istanbul Medeniyet University from 2015 to 2017.

Media Work

Altun is also a writer, newspaper columnist, and was a TV presenter. He was the chief editor for Kriter magazine. He often appeared as a commentator on TRT World, a state-owned television channel. He wrote articles for newspapers like Sabah, Daily Sabah, and Akşam. He also worked as an editor for publishing houses. His writings have appeared in international news outlets like Al Jazeera and The Washington Post.

Political Career

Fahrettin Altun quickly became an important figure in the Government of Turkey after leaving his academic roles. He was known for making important statements for the Turkish presidency. He also helped manage the president's social media.

Key Statements

Altun has spoken out on various international issues. He criticized French President Emmanuel Macron's comments about 'separatist Islam'. Altun said these remarks were "yet another example of a desperate European politician vying for relevance." He also compared European attitudes towards Muslims to how Jewish people were treated in the 1920s.

He also commented on domestic politics. Following a police action at the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) office, he linked the HDP to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). In August 2024, Turkey blocked access to Instagram. This happened after Altun condemned Meta Platforms for removing posts about the death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. However, the ban was issued by a different government body, not his directorate.

Views and Beliefs

Fahrettin Altun has shared his thoughts on many important global topics. He believes in the need for Turkey to have its own media platforms. He thinks this is important because some international platforms might not be fair.

Combating Discrimination

Under Altun's leadership, the Directorate of Communications worked to fight against xenophobia, which is the fear or dislike of people from other countries. They organized events and launched a special website called "we remember." This page focused on major historical events like the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide. Altun has called Islamophobia "a crime against humanity." He believes that countries should work together to stop this type of discrimination. He often asks European leaders to be tolerant and respect all religions and cultures.

Global System and Turkey's Role

In his book, Türkiye as a Stabilizing Power in an Age of Turmoil, Altun discusses how the current global system has not always kept peace. He suggests that the United Nations Security Council should be expanded. He believes Turkey's actions to help in other countries can be a good example for achieving stability. Altun thinks Turkey's warnings about the UN's structure could have helped prevent conflicts, like the displacement of millions of people.

Altun also believes Turkey has handled refugee situations well. He contrasts this with some European countries that focus more on security. He suggests that European nations could learn from Turkey's long experience with refugees.

Digital World Concerns

Fahrettin Altun is known for criticizing how large social media companies manage data. He has called the modern digital world a place of "digital fascism" and "digital dictators." He believes these companies have too much power over what people can say online.

Public Diplomacy Efforts

Fahrettin Altun believes that good communication is very important for how a government works. Under his leadership, Turkey's Directorate of Communications changed its approach to public diplomacy. This means how Turkey presents itself to the world.

Global Outreach

The Directorate organized many events, like panels and exhibitions, in cities around the world. Their goal was to make the Turkish government seem more approachable and understandable. In 2024, Turkey's media and communications efforts were ranked 18th in the Global Soft Power Index. This was a big jump from the previous year. The report noted that Turkey's focus on international relations and culture helped improve its global image.

CİMER Platform

CİMER is an important online platform where Turkish citizens can directly send their problems, requests, and reports to the Presidency. It became a very popular platform after it combined with another system in 2018. Under Fahrettin Altun's leadership, the number of applications to CİMER grew a lot. The number of requests increased from 2 million in 2017 to 7.65 million in 2023. People use CİMER for many different reasons, from complaints about local services to suggestions for improvements.

CİMER has won awards for its work. It received the "Best Project" award for "Access to information and knowledge" at a UN-sponsored event. It also won a "Golden World Award for Excellence" in Public Relations.

Hello Turkiye Campaign

In 2021, a special decision was made to change Turkey's official name on the global stage from "Turkey" to "Türkiye." The Directorate of Communications led a big media campaign to introduce this new name. Many international organizations have now recognized and use the name Türkiye.