Iran Calls For Media Co-op With Turkey To Cover International News

Ankara, Dec 26, IRNA – Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, said on Tuesday that ongoing sensitivities in the region necessitate Iranian and Turkish mass media organizations to develop cooperation. In a meeting with Managing Director of Anadolu News Agency Kamal Uzturk, Mehmanparast said that the technological advances in the media domain made public opinion available for the decision makers to strike a balance in international relations. He referred to the decisive role of public opinion in policy making in the west, Mehmanparast said for the western governments, mass media play the role of guiding public opinion, in line with their own interests not in line with national interests. "So, we are witnessing that they try to fan Islamophobia and present a negative image of Muslims and not to reflect realities of Muslim states," he added. To defend their values, national interests and independence, the independent states need to have powerful mass media, he said. "The media should have links with each other to echo their voice to the world people." Mehmanparast said that the western governments are scared of the voice of independent states be heard by other nations. "That's why since victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran, they (westerners) have been busy fabricating vain issues against Iran and the Islamic Revolution; the last chain of their efforts was cutting the external services of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting." Despite their claim of defending freedom of expression, the westerners fear Iranian people's voice be heard by other nations, he added./end