From the killing of journalists to fake news to justify their oppression of Palestinian civilians, Israel is under fire for stifling voices on the ground. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pointed out these two facts as he sent a video message to a strategic communications meeting held in Istanbul on Friday.
Erdoğan said more than 60 journalists covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were killed by Israel’s attacks as they were trying to give voice to the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza under difficult conditions.
Israel’s relentless attacks since Oct. 7 killed thousands in Gaza and other Palestinian territories, but the Netanyahu government found widespread support, especially from Western governments. Israel justifies its atrocities as a way to counter the Hamas resistance group, which controls Gaza. Although pro-Palestinian rallies have been underway for weeks now, Western countries enthusiastically endorse Israel’s attacks in the besieged enclave of Gaza.
“Israel’s deliberate attacks are not limited to women and children. Israel kills journalists, as well. They cut off communications for the people of Gaza to prevent the oppression of the people in Gaza from being heard,” Erdoğan said.
Erdoğan said international organizations and the global system “failed the test” in the face of Israel’s savagery. He added that the United Nations Security Council, tasked with maintaining global peace and stability, did not function at all in this process. Although Erdoğan did praise the 121 countries who voted for a humanitarian cease-fire at the U.N. General Assembly.
The president lamented the biased coverage of international media organizations during the conflict: “Many media outlets turned a blind eye to Israel’s crimes against humanity, war crimes in Gaza. They did not change their stance even when Israeli security forces killed their colleagues. I believe this stance hurt not only the families of slain journalists, but also other members of the media,” he said.
He said Türkiye always stood with the people of Gaza against Israeli oppression, and they also fought against a propaganda war by Israel, “aiming to destroy or distort the truth." Erdoğan highlighted the work of a Turkish agency for combating disinformation working under the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, which exposed a large number of fake news regarding the conflict. Erdoğan also praised Turkish journalists for exhibiting a brave stand by covering Israel’s attacks.
Speaking at the same event, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that the world was exposed to a campaign of disinformation, both through biased coverage of the conflict and Israel’s “institutional” efforts to cover up the truth. “Israel’s disinformation efforts seek to vindicate the killing of more than 14,000 Palestinian civilians, including 6,000 children, under the guise of self-defense,” he said. Fidan pointed out that Israel struck hospitals and blamed “others” while searching for “tunnels” under the hospitals. “But their true motive is covering up their occupation of Palestinian lands and thwarting a two-state solution to the issue,” he said. Türkiye champions establishment of a fully independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital as a way to ensure lasting peace in the region.
Fahrettin Altun, head of the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, said in a speech at the event that Israel was pursuing a fascist propaganda and “kills the truth” along with journalists, medical workers, women and children.
