Our Communication Principles

As a network of nearly 300 NGOs from across Turkey operating in different fields, we struggle to strengthen pluralistic democracy with tens of thousands of supporters. We all believe that a soundly-functioning checks and balances system is essential to secure freedom, stability, justice, prosperity and peace, and we work for it.

We would like to share with you the points that we want to underline regarding our communication efforts that we deploy in this context:  
In all our communications, we take institutional texts of the CBN as the basis, and we carry out communications with the support of our Communications Group, with our CBN Communications Team.

We never act against our Principles and Values that we specified during our establishment and our targets that we expressed in our Declaration for any reason. We do not compromise our principles to attract attention, act in line with the current setting, or eliminate potential pressure of any power.

Expressions of our participants, members, staff may not reflect the opinions of the CBN and its members.

We may announce developments that we think will contribute to the strengthening of checks and balances and publicize our opinion on these topics.

We may share our opinions about the topics in our fields of activity via our communication channels.  

We prefer not to respond directly to posts and comments that point to our network or a person or a part of the society through our network as a target. In case such posts become intensive, we make initiatives upon approval of our Communications Group and in the framework set by our Crisis Management Guide.

We act in a sensitive way about topics that may aggravate social polarization or do harm to social peace. To make assessments on such topics, we aim to reach consensus within our network. In case of lack of consensus, we prefer not to make any assessment.

We express below our main principles with details that we take as the basis in our communications:
Use an impartial, unifying and positive language.
Stand at equal distance to all political parties and opinions, individuals, communities, organizations, and institutions.
Consider sensitivities of all the sections of the society.
Stay away from comments and visuals that are discriminatory, marginalizing, polarizing, militarist, sexist, praise violence, call to violence, incite to hatred and hostility, feed lynching culture, violate human rights. Produce by being aware of approaches that may reproduce any of the above.
Produce by observing human, animal and environmental rights, and gender equality.
Use a language and visuals that contribute to gender mainstreaming.
Respect freedom of expression, tolerate every expression that does not violate legal rights.
Mind fundamental values of democracy and rule of law.
Respect intellectual property rights.
Not share any information that is not correct, consistent, or certain.

Click to download