Davutoglu urges strong press

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday called for a strong press culture and powerful media. "Freedom of the press should be expanded, and the press should be strong," Davutoglu told the Turkic-Speaking Countries Media Forum in Ankara, co-organized by Turkey 's Directorate General of Press and Information and the Foreign Ministry's Center for Strategic Research. Davutoglu said the Turkish media should have a stronger and more influential position in the world, adding that media organs are important players in public diplomacy. "Diplomacy is no longer a series of negotiations carried out by diplomats behind closed doors. New areas of diplomacy are expanding," he said. No matter what kind of decisions political leaders make or how they are implemented, they will never win public support without healthy public diplomacy, he added. The people of Ankara, Tashkent, Astana, Bishkek and Baku all enjoy a common fate, but if their goals and vision don't overlap, this is a failure of diplomacy, Davutoglu said, adding that media organs should work to foster a positive and friendly atmosphere between countries.