When was Anadolu Agency officially launched?
Anadolu Agency officially launched on the 6th of April 1920. The Turkish Grand National Assembly convened for the first time seventeen days later.
Questions about Anadolu Agency
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who issued the order to create Anadolu Agency in 1920?
Mustafa Kemal Pasha issued a direct order in 1920 to create a new news network. Revolutionary leaders needed a way to communicate across Anatolia and Rumelia without interference from British occupiers or sultans controlling Constantinople.
Where did Yunus Nadi Abalıoğlu meet Halide Edip to start Anadolu Agency?
Yunus Nadi Abalıoğlu met Halide Edip in the town of Geyve while fleeing occupied Istanbul. Both were journalists and writers seeking to establish a free press for the revolutionary movement before concluding that a new Turkish press agency was necessary for Anatolia.
What happened to Anadolu Agency after the Justice and Development Party took power?
The Justice and Development Party began restructuring Anadolu Agency when they took power. A 2016 academic article noted that these public producers became controlled by officials from a small network close to party leadership with reporting lines shifting to reflect the administration's specific direction.
Why was Anadolu Agency created instead of using existing newspapers?
Revolutionary leaders could not rely on established newspapers because all existing papers operated under the rule of sultans and British occupiers in Constantinople. They needed a way to communicate across Anatolia and Rumelia without interference to support their cause.