The Presidency's Directorate of Communications is set to host the “Türkiye Nation Branding Forum,” the first of its kind for Türkiye, at the TIM Show Center in the Maslak district of Istanbul on Dec. 16-17.
The event is focused on the theme of “Meet Türkiye’s True Colors” and is geared to function as an international idea platform regarding global practices of national brands.
It will convene experts from all over the world, as well as 44 panelists featuring public and private sector representatives and media professionals. It will also bring together nation branding coordinators from various countries, top officials from companies managing nation branding indexes and EXPO representatives.
Communications Director Fahrettin Altun will deliver the opening speech at the forum.
The event will examine global developments in the nation's brands, indexes and country examples. Local and foreign experts will dissect all aspects of the brand of Türkiye and its national branding strategy throughout the decades, along with Turkish television shows, Turkish cuisine, branded cities, soft power elements and brand activities in the international arena.
Meanwhile, high-level officials from various organizations and institutions like the Foreign Ministry, the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the Trade Ministry, Anadolu Agency (AA), UNESCO, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) and Turkish Airlines (THY) will be presenting their assessments on Türkiye’s brand strategies.
The first day of the forum is slated to feature panels titled “Trends, Change and Transformations in Nation Branding around the World,” “Location Branding in a Changing World: Tale of Cities” and “Nation Branding and Gastrodiplomacy.” The second day will include panels titled “Nation Branding Around the World: Sharing Experience,” “Public Diplomacy and Nation Branding Strategy,” “Nation Branding in Broadcast, Production and Culture Export,” “Globalizing Nation Branding: International Fairs” and “Brand Ambassadors for Turkish Cuisine.”
Additionally, various key figures will unravel the Türkiye brand through presentations. AA General Manager Serdar Karagöz with “Media’s Role in Nation Branding: AA Brand,” DEIK President Nail Olpak with “Commercial Diplomacy Enterprises for the Türkiye Brand,” Istanbul University’s professor Dr. Ahmet Kala with “Branding in Turkish History: Stamp to Brand,” THY General Manager and CEO Bilal Ekşi with “Türkiye’s Most Valuable Brand Turkish Airlines’ Brand Strategies: If You Dream,” TIKA President Serkan Kayalar with “Brand in Humanitarian Aid: Türkiye Experience” and UNESCO Türkiye National Commission Assistant Secretary-General Dr. Şule Ürün with “Cultural Heritage in Nation Branding: Türkiye Experience."
Turkish cuisine will also take center stage at the forum, with celebrity chefs, famous actors and producers attending relevant panels. TRT musicians too will perform samples of Turkish music, and the Fire of Anatolia, a Turkish dance group, will stage an exclusive show.
Stands set up thanks to the joint contribution of the Directorate of Communications, TRT, AA, THY, the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency and Eyüp Sabri Tuncer will serve attendees Turkish coffee and Turkish delight in line with the Türkiye brand concept.
The forum and its activities are designed to reflect the brand of Türkiye in every detail. The organizers are hoping it will be the first step in establishing a complete strategy for nation branding.
The Türkiye Brand Office was established and announced to the public on May 9, 2022, and is headed by Nur Özkan Erbay.
The Türkiye Brand Office aims to further strengthen the nation's brand value in global competition by sharing all the state’s and nation’s success stories from the past to the present in education, technology, health, communication, industry, defense, sports, culture, diplomacy, humanitarian aid, tourism, energy, innovation, trade, economy, infrastructure and transportation.
In this context, the strengthening of the nation's brand is central to the Türkiye Communication Model. Its goal is to institutionalize the activities for the Strong Türkiye Brand, which is an integral part of the Strong Türkiye vision.
