Yesterday at 20:05
The Ukrainian state broadcasting platform for foreign audiences, FREEДОМ, has premiered the information project “Turkic Focus,” which will highlight Ukrainian–Turkic relations and key developments in this field. The project is hosted by Maryna Honcharuk, founder and director of the Ukrainian-Turkic Center.
“Turkic Focus” is intended to become a media platform for open dialogue between Ukraine and the Turkic world, informing Russian-speaking audiences in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Türkiye about key events in cooperation between our countries.
The thematic scope of “Turkic Focus” includes current political and diplomatic developments, issues of cultural and public diplomacy, the life of Turkic communities in Ukraine, as well as shared historical and cultural heritage. Ukraine is both values-based and strategically close to the Turkic peoples and demonstrates a fundamentally different approach to cooperation than Russia—one based on respect for culture and national identity.
“Turkic countries are a strategically important region in supporting Ukraine’s resilience. On digital broadcasting platforms, we observe consistent interest from viewers in Central Asia and the Caucasus in FREEДОМ content, which confirms the demand for information about Ukraine and from Ukraine’s perspective. The launch of the thematic ‘Turkic Focus’ will allow us to work more precisely with audiences in Turkic countries, concentrating on topics of Ukrainian–Turkic interaction and strengthening our communication with the region,” said Yulia Bin, CEO of the State Enterprise “The International Broadcasting Multimedia Platform of Ukraine,” which includes FREEДОМ.
The project aims to strengthen interest in Ukraine amid Russian aggression, counter disinformation and simplified narratives, and promote humanitarian, cultural, and expert cooperation. An important component of the project is supporting a shared vision of security, sovereignty, and adherence to international law.
“Turkic Focus” will also highlight prospects for Ukraine’s integration into the Turkic institutional space as an observer country, particularly in the Organization of Turkic States and the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY).
“The emergence of this program is extremely important, as Türkiye and Azerbaijan are strategic partners of Ukraine, and all Turkic countries are increasingly influencing international relations, opening new opportunities for dialogue and cooperation. Ukraine is also taking its place in this process, and it is important to cover key events, open new areas for interaction, and strengthen mutual attention between our peoples. Eleven years of my professional activity have been connected with the Turkic world, and I know how deep these ties are. Their coverage will help us better understand each other, discover new opportunities for cooperation, and strengthen trust,” commented Maryna Honcharuk, the project’s author and host.
The first episode of “Turkic Focus” highlights, in particular, Azerbaijan’s assistance in restoring Ukraine’s energy and social infrastructure.
“Azerbaijan has provided $40 million in humanitarian aid. This primarily includes energy-related equipment—transformers, substations, generators, cables, and wires. Quite recently, we sent another batch. Azerbaijan has restored two facilities in Irpin—a polyclinic and a school. According to information I received from official sources, four more medical or social facilities will be restored,” said Farid Shafiyev, Chairman of the Center for Analysis of International Relations, commenting on Azerbaijan’s humanitarian and energy support.
The episode also covers educational and cultural dialogues that strengthen mutual understanding between Ukraine and the Turkic world. The authors discuss the recreation and rehabilitation of Ukrainian children in Kazakhstan, where young Ukrainians became interested in learning the Kazakh language, culture, and traditions.
Kazakh political scientist Jabrayil Markhiyev emphasized Kazakhstan’s clear stance on the Russian-Ukrainian war:
“I believe that from the very first week of those tragic events, Kazakhs openly and clearly expressed their position. Even then, humanitarian aid worth more than 20 million tenge was collected. With these funds, 25 types of medical supplies were purchased and 85 tons of humanitarian cargo were sent to Ukraine. This shows that Kazakhs actively responded to the conflict and sympathize with Ukraine. The government of Kazakhstan also shares the sentiments of its people on this issue.”
A separate segment is devoted to how Ukrainians protect monuments of prominent figures of the Turkic world from Russian shelling. Overall, the project emphasizes friendly relations between Ukrainians and Turkic peoples, solidarity, and the continuation of cultural cooperation even during wartime.
At the project’s launch, 94.6% of YouTube views came from an international audience. The largest share of viewers comes from Kazakhstan (52.2%), Azerbaijan (12.9%), Russia (11.4%), and Uzbekistan (6.6%). Among the cities with the highest viewership are Almaty, Astana, Aktobe, Karaganda, and Pavlodar in Kazakhstan; Baku and Sumgait in Azerbaijan; as well as Tashkent and Samarkand in Uzbekistan.
The first episodes of “Turkic Focus” are available on the YouTube channel: FREEДОМ: DOC.
It is worth noting that recently, the State Enterprise “IBMPU” launched the UATV Türkçe YouTube channel to promptly and objectively inform Turkish-speaking audiences worldwide about key developments in Ukraine.
Background Information
FREEДОМ is Ukraine’s state international broadcasting channel focused on Russian-speaking audiences outside Ukraine. The TV channel is broadcast via satellite, cable, DTH, IPTV networks of national operators, and OTT platforms. Digitally, it is available on 14 online platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Telegram, X, and WhatsApp.
FREEДОМ is part of the State Enterprise “The International Broadcasting Multimedia Platform of Ukraine” (IBMPU). IBMPU is a resilient, multi-level institution within the state’s information security system, comprising seven media brands—FREEДОМ, Dim, UATV.English, UATV.Arabic, UATV.Español, The Gaze, UATV.Português, UATV.Deutsch, UATV.Türkçe, UATV po polsku—which produce and broadcast content in six languages: Ukrainian, English, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, and Portuguese.
