Journalist-writer, former deputy Oktay Ekşi met with the Başkenters within the scope of “Media Meetings” organized by Başkent University Faculty of Communication on the 4th of December 2017. The subject of the panel moderated by Başkent University Faculty of Communication Lecturer, Prof. Dr. Lütfi Doğan Tılıç was the journalist-politician relationship.

In the "Media Meetings", of the Faculty of Communication, who train the media workers of the future, the students showed great interest and Master journalist Oktay Ekşi said that the journalist should keep his distance from the politician. In his speech mentioning that journalism is a lifestyle, Oktay Ekşi underlined that there is no retirement in this lifelong profession. Ekşi stated that journalists should be careful not to be in the center of attraction of any power center or institution and gave examples from Turkish press history. He said that the processes of influencing and exerting pressure on the media have been going on since the past. After the panel Başkent University Founder and Chairman of the Executive Board Prof. Dr. Mehmet Haberal, defined Oktay Ekşi as a veteran journalist and the person who delivers the right news to people, in his speech. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Haberal stated; “The Turkish press has veterans. These are the people who literally paved the way for the press. Mete Akyol was one of them. Cüneyt brother was one of them. Oktay brother is the person who delivers real and accurate news to people. If you are doing your profession, believing that this is true for every profession, those who do their profession with enthusiasm fear only God". In his words, “Two things are irreversible; Continuing with the emphasis of "one is human life and the other is time", Prof. Dr. Haberal shared the lines of Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli with the audience; “The temperature is in the pomegranate, not in the sheet metal. The miracle is in the first place and not in the crown. Whatever you seek, seek in yourself, it is not in the pilgrimage to Mecca in Jerusalem. Everyone has to do what they have to do,” Addressing the young people at the end of his speech, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Haberal said; “You have no excuse for not being successful. This country came here from Conkbayırı, Koca Seyit. Never forget this”he said.

After the Media Meetings, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Haberal presented a plaque to veteran journalist Oktay Ekşi to commemorate the day.

After the panel Prof. Dr. Mehmet Haberal, Oktay Ekşi, Başkent University Ordinaryus Prof. Dr. Enver Ziya Karal gave a tour of the History Application and Research Center and the Atatürk House Museum located in the Bağlıca Campus. Prof. Dr. Haberal gave detailed information to Oktay Ekşi about the artifacts in the museum. After the visit, journalist Ekşi signed the book in Atatürk House Museum.