Turkey's state broadcaster launches Russian news platform to fight 'disinformation and manipulation'

Turkey's state-run Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) has started broadcasting news on its new Russian language platform that will play "an active role in fighting disinformation and manipulation as a reliable source of news in the Russophone world with its quality journalism." It will monitor "the pulse of the region through local correspondents in many localities over a wide geography and especially in Moscow."

Duvar English

Turkey's state-run Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) has started broadcasting news on its new Russian language platform to "fight disinformation and manipulation."

In a statement, the broadcaster said that TRT Russian will play "an active role in fighting disinformation and manipulation as a reliable source of news in the Russophone world with its quality journalism."

"The platform aims to be influential with its Russian coverage through informative and gripping interviews, reports and videos with an experienced news-crew," it said.

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TRT Russian will focus on being an "informative and balanced conduit of expression in the Russian-speaking world and across the globe," it added.

It will monitor "the pulse of the region through local correspondents in many localities over a wide geography and especially in Moscow."

The TRT Russian news platform will reach Russian-speaking communities with its "special online content" that it will publish on networks such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Telegram.

Turkey and Russia back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Libya, but have also sought to compartmentalize their differences by expanding political and economic ties.

While Moscow backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Ankara supports rebels fighting to oust him.

In Libya, Russia backs Libyan National Army (LNA) leader Khalifa Haftar, while Turkey deployed troops and Syrian rebels to the North African country to support the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj in fending off an offensive by the LNA.

In launching the new digital platform, Turkey is also likely keen on reaching its ethnic Turkic cousins in Russia and Central Asia.

Russia is Turkey's largest source of visitors in the vital tourism industry, with 7 million Russian tourists visiting in 2019, according to the Turkish Tourism Ministry.

TRT already broadcasts TRT World in English, TRT Arabic, and TRT German.

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