ANKARA
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Arinc attended a graduation ceremony for students completing Anadolu Agency's News Academy program devised to train journalists, photojournalists and cameramen.
"Anadolu Agency aims at becoming one of the top five news agencies in the world and it is already the biggest news agency in our region and in the Muslim world," Arinc told the ceremony.
Arinc said the transformation process of the AA over the past year had made it a globally-acclaimed and a respected news agency, adding that AA was one of the most prestigious institutions in Turkey.
Academy graduates received 608 hours of training
Also speaking at the ceremony AA Director General and Board Chairman Kemal Ozturk the News Academy was the most important part of the agency's "100th Year vision to make AA the strong news agency of strong Turkey."
Ozturk said academy graduates received 608 hours of training in the four-month program "to become the new generation journalists, a goal which is one of the three priorities of our plans for the next eight years."
Graduates of the AA News Academy received their certificates as the top placing graduates' certificates were presented by Arinc.
