BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 28. Azerbaijan's Baku hosted the second panel session on "Cooperation Opportunities of OTS Member States in the Digital Media Environment" as part of the Media Forum of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), Trend reports.
The panel session was moderated by Elmira Musazadeh, Chief Editor of CBC TV Azerbaijan and Head of News, Special Projects, and SMM.
The panel speakers included MP Sevil Mikayilova, Member of the Supervisory Board of the Media Development Agency and Vice President of the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) from Azerbaijan; Makpal Ukenova, Director of the Balapan Channel of the Republic of Kazakhstan's National Television and Radio Corporation; Alptekin Cihangir İşbilir, Press Counselor at the Embassy of Türkiye in Azerbaijan; Tokhir Umarov, Head of the Content Production Department for Mass Media under the Administration of the President of Uzbekistan; and Mustafa Lakadamyalı, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
The speakers shared their views on developing cooperation mechanisms in the digital media sphere, promoting joint content production, and expanding information exchange.
They emphasized that the rapid changes in the digital information environment require more flexible and trust-based cooperation platforms among OTS member states. It was noted that implementing joint digital projects, managing information flows more efficiently, and strengthening ties between media organizations can expand communication opportunities for member countries and help create a unified, dynamic media space in the region.
Speaking at the panel, MP Sevil Mikayilova noted that Trend News Agency and Türkiye's well-known Demirören Agency (DHA) are inviting the media of the OTS and D-8 countries to join their joint AI-based digital platform.
"Trend and DHA have jointly introduced a very interesting project: a new platform based on modern information technologies and built around cooperation that is essential today. We have already brought in other countries, including those that are not Turkic-speaking.
China’s prominent Xinhua Agency has also agreed to join the project. At the same time, we have invited all our colleagues from the Turkic states. A multimedia stock has been created here," the MP said.
MP Mikayilova stressed that the existence of such a platform is particularly important at a time when disinformation is spreading widely across the internet.
"In response to AI-generated fake content, it is crucial to have a large volume of accurate and reliable material. That is precisely why we created this stock. We have also achieved very positive results by successfully applying, for the first time, AI-based translation capabilities into different languages," she emphasized.
The MP added that involving colleagues from other countries can help shape a highly positive media environment:
"Here, accurate news that guides the public correctly will be provided. Regardless of the subject, information will be correct and trustworthy. Building strategic communication between states is extremely important today. We must acknowledge that both social media and traditional media are very powerful in shaping public perception. But the existence of such platforms and the creation of a space where verified information sources are gathered is essential. For diplomats, decision-makers and individuals with media literacy, this platform is extremely valuable. As technology develops, a more advanced media system will form within this environment. But at this stage, we cannot pause: we must strengthen the legislative framework and work on establishing new media law and cooperation platforms," she said.
The MP recalled that just a few days ago, Baku hosted the Media Forum of the D-8 countries, noting that such forums are crucial for strengthening the ideological foundations of the state’s political course.
"By involving other countries in the platform, we can broaden the coverage of accurate information across our region. In this way, we can build a barrier against fake news and disinformation. This will be highly beneficial for all our colleagues," Sevil Mikayilova said.
Alptekin Cihangir İşbilir, Press Counsellor of the Turkish Embassy in Azerbaijan, noted that cooperation between Turkish and Azerbaijani news agencies is growing stronger by the day, and Trend News Agency plays a particularly important role in this process.
He said that Trend News Agency maintains robust cooperation mechanisms and joint production with both the Albayrak Media Group and Demirören News Agency.
İşbilir noted that Trend News Agency maintains strong cooperation with Albayrak Media Group and Demirören News Agency, producing content together: "We closely follow Trend’s news, the Azernews newspaper, and the TurkicWorld platform. As the Turkish Embassy in Azerbaijan, we are doing our utmost to help advance this cooperation to an even higher level".
The press counsellor added that Trend’s TurkicWorld project serves as an excellent model for all media outlets across the Organization of Turkic States: "This model should be applied and taken as an example both in traditional and digital media. The cooperation framework developed by Trend can serve as a foundation for various joint projects among the news agencies of all Turkic countries".
İşbilir stressed that cooperation between Trend and Albayrak, Demirören and other agencies should not remain limited to Azerbaijan and Türkiye: "It should also be extended to other Turkic states. The same level of ties must be established with the agencies of other Turkic countries. I believe this model will be widely adopted. It should also serve as an example for building an OTS-wide media mechanism to combat disinformation".
The speakers discussed the development of cooperative frameworks within the digital media landscape, focusing on collaborative content production and enhancing information exchange.
The panel underscored the necessity of establishing flexible and trust-based platforms for cooperation among OTS member countries in response to the rapid transformations in the digital information environment.
The event highlighted that the implementation of joint digital initiatives, efficient management of information flow, and strengthening of media organization networks could significantly enhance communication capabilities within the region, fostering the creation of a cohesive and dynamic media space.
In addition, Eldar Rasulov, Media Relations Manager for the Azerbaijani operating company WUF13, gave a presentation on “Opportunities for the media at the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13)” and drew attention to the fact that the World Urban Forum, which will be held in Baku in 2026, is one of the world's largest platforms for discussing the concepts of sustainable urban development, modern urbanism, and “smart cities.”
According to him, WUF13 will provide extensive opportunities for the media, with a media center for journalists equipped with high-speed internet, fully equipped workstations, and rooms for press conferences and interviews.
