This article was automatically translated from the original Turkish version.
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Anadolu Ajansı (AA) was established on 6 April 1920 in Ankara during the period of Türkiye’s War of Independence. The agency’s founding arose from the need for an independent news source to serve as an alternative to the press under censorship following the occupation of Istanbul. This initiative, led by Mustafa Kemal Pasha, aimed to inform the public accurately and amplify the voice of the National Struggle from Anatolia. Journalist Yunus Nadi (Abalıoğlu) and writer Halide Edip (Adıvar) played pioneering roles in its establishment.
Anadolu Ajansı began operations before the opening of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and became the first institution to inform the public of the Assembly’s initial decisions. The agency, which published its first bulletin on 12 April 1920, witnessed Türkiye’s political and social transformation processes from its inception and assumed a vital role in ensuring the regular and reliable flow of information.
On 1 March 1925, Anadolu Ajansı acquired the status of an anonymous company and gradually developed its institutional structure, expanding its publication network both domestically and internationally. Today, the agency continues its operations as one of Türkiye’s oldest media institutions, offering multilingual news services.
The founding of Anadolu Ajansı was a direct consequence of the political developments and press restrictions during the final years of the Ottoman State. The occupation of Istanbul by the Allied Powers on 16 March 1920 and the dissolution of the Chamber of Deputies necessitated the creation of a new political center in Anatolia and associated communication networks. Under occupation, the press in Istanbul was censored, and public access to accurate information was largely blocked. In this context, the idea emerged to establish an agency in Ankara that would provide the public with truthful information.
Among the intellectuals who moved from Istanbul to Anatolia during this period were journalist Yunus Nadi Abalıoğlu and writer Halide Edip Adıvar, who met in Geyve on 31 March 1920. Before reaching Ankara, they discussed the urgent need for a new news agency and agreed that it should be named “Anadolu Ajansı.” This decision reflected both the agency’s geographical origin and its mission to represent the national struggle for independence.
Yunus Nadi and Halide Edip arrived in Ankara a few days later and began preparations for the agency’s establishment at the Ziraat Mektebi, which served as Mustafa Kemal Pasha’s headquarters. The first meeting of Anadolu Ajansı was held on 6 April 1920 in this building, formally establishing the agency. On 8 April 1920, Mustafa Kemal Pasha issued a circular announcing the agency’s founding to all provinces.
During its establishment phase, the agency’s editorial activities were entirely structured to serve the goals of the National Struggle. It took on functions such as transmitting news via telegraph to the provinces, distributing official statements, and informing the public of decisions made by the Grand National Assembly. In this way, Anadolu Ajansı became not merely a press organ but also one of the key information channels of the emerging political order.
Anadolu Ajansı Infographic. (AA)
From its founding, Anadolu Ajansı functioned as one of the central elements of the War of Independence’s communication and propaganda machinery. Its most important task was to inform the public accurately and rapidly about the activities of the Grand National Assembly, its decisions, and developments on the fronts. During this period, AA assumed the responsibility of informing both the people of Anatolia and international public opinion.
The agency published its first bulletin on 12 April 1920. This initial publication called on the public to disregard the censored press in Istanbul and turn to official news sources from Anatolia. In the following days, Anadolu Ajansı regularly published the first laws passed by the Grand National Assembly, government statements, and developments related to the war. These reports were primarily transmitted by telegraph to civil administrators in Anatolia and then disseminated to the public through local newspapers.
The agency’s reports played a strategic role in maintaining public morale during the war, raising awareness, and reinforcing communication between the new administration and the people. At the same time, Anadolu Ajansı began regularly providing information to the foreign press. This enabled the international community to be informed about developments in Türkiye and efforts were made to articulate the legitimacy of the independence struggle.
In addition to official news, the agency’s publications included directives, speeches, and various telegrams aimed at guiding the public. Speeches delivered by Mustafa Kemal Pasha from the floor of the Grand National Assembly were also published through Anadolu Ajansı. Thus, during the war, the agency became the strongest communication channel between the political center in Ankara and the public.
Until the end of the War of Independence, AA not only maintained regular publications but also continued as the primary information and news transmission organ for the new state structure to be established after the war. The functions and credibility it acquired during this period formed the foundation of its institutional structure in the Republican era.
The first publications of Anadolu Ajansı reflected the core communication strategy of the early phase of the National Struggle. The agency’s aim went beyond merely informing the public; it sought to introduce the newly established political authority, strengthen its legitimacy, and guide public opinion during the war. Accordingly, its content combined news with directive public information elements.
First Bulletin was published on 12 April 1920. It emphasized that the press under the control of occupying forces in Istanbul was unreliable and urged the public to rely on official news sources from Anatolia. This text revealed that the agency was not merely a news provider but also assumed the function of informing and guiding the public. In terms of content, the agency began publishing under three main headings:
The agency transmitted its news primarily via telegraph to various points in Anatolia, thereby connecting with the public through local administrators and newspapers. The language of AA’s news reports was simple, explanatory, and direct, in line with the press style of the period. In reporting on war-related developments, exaggeration was avoided, and a tone aimed at boosting public morale was preferred.
During this period, the content of Anadolu Ajansı was largely sourced from the Grand National Assembly. Speeches by Mustafa Kemal Pasha, debates in the Assembly, and its decisions were directly communicated through the agency. Additionally, short texts in English and French were prepared for international audiences to promote the independence movement globally.
During the War of Independence, Anadolu Ajansı operated primarily as a communication tool supported by the state. However, following the proclamation of the Republic, its legal and administrative framework needed to be formalized in parallel with the construction of the new state’s institutional structure. Accordingly, on 1 March 1925, Anadolu Ajansı was restructured under the title “Anadolu Ajansı Türk Anonim Şirketi.” This step allowed the agency to adopt a more professional news organization identity without severing its organic ties to the state.
During the institutionalization process, the agency’s core principles became independence, accuracy, rapid news flow, and public interest. After incorporation, its administrative structure was clarified, its publication policy was standardized, and the number and quality of its staff were increased. The first general manager was Asım Us, who initiated the modernization of the agency’s managerial structure.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Anadolu Ajansı played an active role in conveying the Republican reforms to public opinion. Particularly the education reforms, alphabet reform, principle of secularism, developments in women’s rights, and Atatürk’s nationwide tours were systematically reported by the agency. During this period, AA followed a publication line that explained the government’s views and policies to society.
Over time, Anadolu Ajansı evolved from being merely a channel for official announcements into a media organ that produced news in areas such as daily life, economy, sports, culture, and the arts. Its archival system was developed; photographic and news collections were expanded. During the same period, foreign correspondents were appointed to monitor international developments, and translations and publications targeting the international press were increased.
This structural strengthening brought about by institutionalization enabled Anadolu Ajansı to become not only a news source but also an archival resource contributing to Türkiye’s national memory.
Headquarters of Anadolu Ajansı. (AA)
With the proclamation of the Republic, Anadolu Ajansı became an essential component of the new state’s communication and public information policies. After acquiring its anonymous company structure in 1925, the agency continued to develop both institutionally and in terms of content. During this period, Anadolu Ajansı moved beyond being a mere channel for official information and transformed into a multifaceted news source reaching diverse segments of society.
In the 1920s and 1930s, great importance was placed on the press’s guiding role in promoting the Republican reforms to the public. In this context, Anadolu Ajansı helped disseminate the ideological foundations of the new regime through its reports on education, health, law, women’s rights, and cultural transformation. In this regard, the agency actively assumed the role of promoting the state’s modernization policies.
During the 1940s and 1950s, as Türkiye transitioned to a multi-party system, Anadolu Ajansı continued its operations under governments with differing political views. Although its principles of independence and impartiality were occasionally subject to debate, its structure of gathering and disseminating news from all corners of the country ensured its continued role as the backbone of national media in line with its public broadcasting mission.
From the 1960s onward, the agency began strengthening its technological infrastructure and expanding its range of publications. Alongside the telegraph system, it adopted telephone, fax, and later computer-assisted communication technologies to accelerate content production and distribution. In the 1970s, the agency expanded its international news flow through cooperation with foreign news sources. The strengthening of its foreign correspondent network and the initiation of publications in foreign languages helped AA become an institution seeking to make its voice heard on a global scale.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the agency remained one of the primary sources for monitoring and conveying Türkiye’s political developments, social events, and economic transformations to public opinion. This period also marked a phase of diversification in the agency’s journalistic approach. The appointment of specialized correspondents in thematic areas such as economy, culture, environment, education, and sports enriched its content.
Anadolu Ajansı’s internationalization process has been shaped by its goal of becoming not only a national but a regional and global news source. This process became particularly pronounced from the early 2000s. Advances in global communication technologies increased the capacity of news agencies to operate across borders, while Türkiye’s growing influence in foreign policy heightened the need to enhance AA’s international visibility.
In 2012, Anadolu Ajansı entered a comprehensive restructuring process under the framework of its “Strategy Towards the 100th Anniversary.” As part of this plan, one of the agency’s primary goals was to become a respected global news agency. To this end, its content languages were diversified and its news production and distribution technologies were modernized.
Under this framework:
Anadolu Ajansı does not limit itself to political news but also produces multilingual content in thematic areas such as economy, sports, culture, environment, and technology. Live broadcasts from crisis regions, special reports, and field news have enhanced the agency’s international visibility. Additionally, AA has begun organizing international media education programs (such as News Academy) to transfer knowledge and experience in journalism. These activities have enabled AA to become not only a news provider but also an actor contributing to regional media development.
Today, Anadolu Ajansı is a multilingual news agency operating with hundreds of correspondents, photographers, and editors across different regions of the world. In this capacity, it has become one of Türkiye’s strategic media institutions providing information on a global scale.
Anadolu Ajansı currently operates as Türkiye’s largest and most widespread news agency, employing a multilingual and multi-platform publishing approach. The agency is not merely a news producer but also a multifaceted institutional structure providing services in information technology, visual content production, data journalism, and media education.
The agency’s headquarters is located in Ankara. In addition, regional directorates operate in major cities such as Istanbul, İzmir, and Diyarbakır. More than 100 foreign correspondents, photojournalists, and cameramen are stationed in countries around the world. The agency coordinates news production through a central editorial network and maintains a continuous flow of updated news from its domestic and international offices.
Anadolu Ajansı’s news services are not limited to text. In line with the expansion of media fields, the agency produces services in the following areas:
To contribute qualified human resources to the media sector, the agency provides journalism training through its unit “AA News Academy.” This academy offers practical training programs in field journalism, war correspondence, photography, new media, and news writing techniques.
AA is among the institutions actively implementing digital transformation in publishing. It effectively utilizes technology in news production and distribution through mobile applications, social media integration, and artificial intelligence-assisted news analysis systems. Additionally, through platforms such as “AA Analiz,” it publishes in-depth analyses based on commentary and expert opinions.
Anadolu Ajansı holds a significant position in Turkish press history as one of its oldest and most influential institutions. Its importance extends beyond news production to its role in conveying political, social, and cultural transformations. Founded in 1920 during the National Struggle, the agency transcended the status of an ordinary media organization and became an institution that witnessed and participated in the birth and development of the Republic.
AA replaced the suppressed press of the late Ottoman period and became the voice of the independence movement, informing both the domestic public and the international community about Türkiye’s struggle. In this sense, it is one of the rare institutions established under wartime conditions and integrated into the state-building process as a media organ.
After the proclamation of the Republic, the role it assumed in promoting the reforms, shaping the new regime’s relationship with the public, and narrating the modernization process transformed it into more than a news transmitter—it became a tool for public guidance. The agency’s publication policy was decisive in disseminating Republican ideology to the masses, particularly during the 1920s and 1930s. Even amid media pluralization in the multi-party era, Anadolu Ajansı continued to play a central role in meeting the public’s information needs for many years. All major political, social, economic, and cultural events in Türkiye have been largely documented in Anadolu Ajansı’s archives and reached public opinion through this channel.
The agency has pioneered the professionalization of the Turkish press, directly influencing the evolution of media through its educational activities, technical infrastructure, and international publishing. Today, many Turkish media outlets still rely on Anadolu Ajansı’s content as their primary news source, and the agency continues to serve as a reference point in informing public opinion.
Anadolu Ajansı, beyond being a news agency, holds a unique position in Turkish journalism as a media memory that documents and shapes Türkiye’s history, both historically and institutionally.
Establishment Process and Historical Background
Role in the War of Independence
First Publications and Content Policy
Institutionalization: 1925 and Beyond
Development in the Republican Era
Internationalization Process
Current Structure and Activities of Anadolu Ajansı
Structural Organization
Service Areas
Education and Development Activities
Technology and Digitalization
Place in Türkiye’s Media History