Cuneyt Ozdemir

Keynote Speaker

Speaker Profile

Born in 1970, at Ankara, Turkey Completed high school education in Ankara. In 1988 he started to attend Ankara University Communication Faculty, Radio and Television department. In 1990, while attending university he started to work in various media firms.

In 1991 he was one of the Turkish stringer and camera assistant with NBC team during Kurdish migration between Turkey and Iraq border. For two months he worked as a regional world broadcast coordinator about current developments regarding relief efforts in the area.

In 1992 he started to work as a reporter asisstant at one of the most respected news program 32nd day

In 1993 he was awarded with British Council scholarship and traveled to London to study and experiment on various multimedia fileds.

In 1994 he started working, first as director asisstant then as the director for 32 nd day During this position he continued to work as a reporter.

In 1995 he transfered to Atv chiefnews team. He worked as the executive-producer. At the same he started to direct Ali Kırca’s news program Political Circle for a year. The same year he also started to produce and host his own segment Cuneyt’s Magnifying Glass for the evening news.

In 1996 he started to work as international war reporter. He followed Israel and Hizbullah conflict at Lebanon and Israel border. He was one of the first television reporter to broadcast Kana Refugee bombing around the world.
Same year he travelled different fronts in Northern Iraq to follow conflict between Talabani and Barzani forces. He prepared special reports telling the stories of cities subject to conflict.

In 1997, he was one of the first reporter to enter Afganistan’s capital Kabil when Talibani captured the city. He followed Shah Mesud and Talibani’s conflict in Northern Afganistan and reported them in special news packages.

In 1998 two of his books were published. One is about the Turkish gendarmerie commander Esref Bitlis’s plain crash leading to his death and military investigation after the incident. The book is called Commander’s Suspicious Death, Esref Bitlis Incident from Iletişim publication. Same yera

In 1999, with Turner and Dogan partnership he was one of the 5 who established CNNTURK news channel in Turkey. He was a part of the internatioanl team from Atlanta and Istanbul who built and brought CNNTURK to life.

In 2000 he broke a live broadcast record in Turkish television history. During millenium celebrations around the world he was on air for 25 hours and 30 minutes in which he connected to 196 different country and reported on live broadcast. Even though he was not able to talk for a week after the show the program became the longest and with the most telephone connection in the history of Turkish television. Same year he started to produce and host daily news program 5N 1K at CNNTURK.

In 2001, after 9/11 attacks he traveled to Pakistan and Afganistan to prepare special reports and live broadcasts. He traveled to Karachi, Islamabad and Pesaver to prepare special reports on Talibani’s past and about the environment he grew up.

In 2002, during World Cup he followed Turkish team in South Korea and Japan. In the mean time 3 of his books are published. They are about people’s potraits who were guests to his programme. Leander’s Tower Story , is a documentary about the story of the Leandrer’s Tower in Istanbul. “Dusesi” was his second essay was published.

In 2003, during USA’s Iraq occupation he followed the events as an embedded journalist. During USA’s Iraq occupation for one month he travelled with USA’s 4th infantry and prepared special reports. After the fall of Baghdad, he traveled to the location and wrote a book about the story and developments about the event. I was with them, but not one of them) tells the story of a Turkish journalists experience of the Iraq’s occupation.

In 2004 he followed Athens Olympics. Daily news programme 5n1k three times in a row won the Turkey’s most respected award Golden Butterfly, Mahmut Dikerdem Award given by TGC, including twice the RTGD award.

In 2005, “Flu” an essay book was published. 14 artists from different areas and Bulent Erkmen contributed to the book. Documentaries like Adventure of Money, Golden Cuff Hits the Water, Everyone has a story to tell to their father were aired on television and at certain documentary festivals.

In 2006, he travelled to Cuba, Guantanamo military base and prepared a special report about the base. Later his book on human rights violations Hell Cage was published. Same year his poetry book was published. The book won the best graphic design award in 2006.

In 2007, he followed Nobel price award ceremony at Stockholm. Daily news programme 5n1k aired it’s 3000th programme. 5n1k borke a record in Turkey and won Television and Radio Association best television news programme award. He worked as a producer at “Sagır Oda” television series.

In 2008, he prepared series of specials reports about Left winds at Latin America and Harvard Medical school cell research.

In 2009, He wrote a book about the unkonwn story of the Police Department’s Intelligence Office called “ Big Doings Agency”

Dipnot has been started in 2011 as a news portal from Istanbul. It has reached an advanced audience through social media with its independent and amateur writers. After the portal has been launched, it created Dipnot Magazine for iPad in Turkish, in English and in Arabic. Dipnot İpad Magazine is the first iPad Magazine of Turkey and the 200th in the world. The English version has created its own viral campaign thorugh out the world; many people has downloaded the magazine in different Apple stores in their own will, spreading the magazine through different countries. At the same times Cuneyt Ozdemir went to Libya and made the first interview with Muammer Kaddafi which had international repercussions. Many different broadcast channels around the world presented the interview to its audience. In
2014 he wrote a book called “The Country Which Has Lost Its Fun”. In 2016 he wrote a book called “A Nation Resisting” in which he narrates 15 July. In 2017, he won the Golden Butterfly Award for “the Best News Show” category. Again in 2017 his special work was chosen as “the Best News of the Year” which is called “5N1K: Reza Zarrab Special”. In 2018 he wrote his new book “Sunflower”.

Cuneyt Ozdemir is married and lives in Istanbul. He is a true movie fan. Diving, surfing and sailing are some of his hobbies. He is a true world citizen and every year he travelles around the world for hobbie and business matters. He prepares conferences, documentaries and he writes books.

He believes that dreaming and making dreams come true is a true virtue.