Anadolu Agency

The history of Anadolu Agency (AA) is almost identical to that of the Republic of Turkey. Having been founded on April 6, 1920, 17 days before the Turkish Grand National Assembly convened first time, Anadolu Agency helped announce the first legislation by the Assembly that established the Republic. Anadolu Agency witnessed all stages of the National Struggle, the War of Liberation and reforms of the Republic. After Istanbul came under occupation on March 16, 1920 and the Ottoman parliament was annulled, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk called on all provinces to hold elections for a new parliament to be established in Ankara. Several intellectuals, who realized that they could not stay in Istanbul any longer, tried to join the National Struggle. This development paved the way for foundation of Anadolu Agency. Those intellectuals leaving Istanbul went to Ankara in two convoys. The journalist Yunus Nadi (Abalioglu) and the writer Halide Edip (Adivar) met in Geyve on March 31st. During their meeting at the train station, they decided that it was necessary to found "an agency organization" in Ankara as soon as possible. They agreed to name the agency as "Anadolu Agency". It was proposed to establish Anadolu Agency at the "School of Agriculture" which also housed Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's headquarters. On April 6th, 1920, Anadolu Agency was founded. Anadolu Agency carried out a difficult task during the War of Liberation. During the war, Anadolu Agency informed the people of the country who did not know what was going on in the rest of the world. AA also struggled against submissive attitude of some foreign and Turkish newspapers in Istanbul. The newly founded agency also had to defend the National Struggle in the world, inform the world public opinion on Turkey's rightful demands and act carefully against tricks of some circles. After Ataturk assigned some of his closest friends to turn the Anadolu Agency into a Western news agency, Anadolu Agency Corporation was established on March 1, 1925. Anadolu Agency acquired an autonomous status with an unexampled organizational chart even in the Western countries in those days.