About Osman Karakas

Osman Karakaş began his journalism career as a correspondent for the local newspaper Malatya-Görüş and managed the newspaper while also serving as a correspondent for Milliyet and TRT. During this period, he conducted news and interviews in all areas and took news photographs.

He was the first in TRT’s history to prepare a video news report outside the institution and have it broadcast on the national channel on the same day. He participated in live broadcasts for TRT during 1st League (Super League) football matches and prepared sports commentary.

Later, he worked for a time at the National News Service of Milliyet Newspaper, where he edited news submitted by reporters.

Karakaş was sent to the USA to learn English and lived in New York and New Jersey. He worked as a correspondent for several national newspapers and attended meetings and press conferences at the United Nations (UN) as an accredited journalist, where he conducted interviews.

He published and edited “Anadolu,” the first Turkish-language newspaper in the United States.

During his time in New York, he reported on significant events such as the Gulf War, the Yugoslav civil war and the Bosnian Massacre, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the U.S. Presidential Elections (Bill Clinton’s election process), and intensive Cyprus Peace Talks. He also covered the activities of the Turkish community and civil society organizations in New York and New Jersey.

Karakaş won three first-place awards in Turkey and journalism awards in the U.S. He won the Best News Photo of the Year award with a news photo published on the cover of the New York Post.

He later returned to Turkey and continued his journalism career in Istanbul, working for Tempo Magazine for a while. Following an offer, he engaged in publishing, editing, and reporting activities in Central Asian countries.

In Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, he served as a magazine editor and director, as well as a TRT correspondent.

He then returned to Turkey and worked as a News Editor in the Foreign News Service of Türkiye Newspaper.

Subsequently, he served as a Press Advisor at the Malatya Municipality for 5 years. During this period, he took on additional responsibilities. Several departments, including the Information Technology Directorate, the Press and Publications Directorate, and the Culture and Arts Directorate, were connected to him. He was involved in promotion, public relations, and organizational activities and played an active role in staff training and restructuring activities.

Karakaş founded the Malatya Local Agenda 21 and the City Council, and he took on the role of General Secretary for both institutions. He facilitated the establishment of 20 volunteer groups with civilian participation without any political or ideological connection in Malatya. During this period, for the first time in Malatya, aid campaigns were organized for those in need with some working groups. One of the projects conducted was the “Discover Your City” tourism project, which allowed thousands of Malatyans to get to know their city. This project was recognized as a model project within the scope of the European Union Euromed activities and was presented as a report in Italy.

Karakaş worked for 8 years as a Lecturer at the Faculty of Communication at Kyrgyzstan-Turkey Manas University, where he taught journalism and publishing courses, participated in various commissions, organized 6 personal photo exhibitions, and arranged master classes and seminars. He also continuously provided classroom and thesis advising, organized documentary film screenings, and created a documentary film by interviewing witnesses (some of whom are no longer alive today) of the deportation of Meskhetian Turks.

He currently engages in blog publishing and writes articles. Karakaş, who has published news and photographs in various local, national, and international magazines and newspapers, also has a book containing controversial expressions about the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM). He has held managerial positions in many institutions and is a holder of a Permanent Press Card.

Karakaş, who has tried to contribute to solving the problems of every country he has lived in and continues his research on the Turkic World and its peoples, was named in a scientific study as one of the top 5 contributors to the Turkish community in the U.S. during his time there.

In addition, in 2003, he went to Baghdad with an international action group formed to prevent the invasion of Iraq and participated in a live shield movement there, engaging in various organizational activities.

Numerous photos and news reports of his have been published in national and international publications.