The Presidential Communications Directorate hosted the panel "Women Witnesses of Genocide: Media and Resistance in Gaza” in Ankara, bringing together prominent voices to highlight the courage of women journalists who continue to document Israel's genocidal attacks and ongoing violations in Gaza.
First Lady Emine Erdoğan, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Anadolu Agency Chairman and Director General Serdar Karagöz, TRT executives, media professionals, and international guests attended the event. Mehmet Çelik, Editorial Coordinator at Daily Sabah, also addressed the panel and underscored Türkiye’s responsibility in ensuring the truth about Gaza reaches global audiences.
Opening remarks were delivered by First Lady Erdoğan, communications chief Duran, TRT Arabi journalist Somaya M. A. Abunima, and Palestinian journalist, activist, and Oscar-winning filmmaker Basel Adra. The speakers emphasized the role of journalism as a lifeline for Palestinians trapped under Israeli bombardment, displacement, and systematic information suppression.
Abunima recounted traveling to Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, leaving her children in Istanbul, and spending two months witnessing what she described as relentless starvation, displacement, and indiscriminate attacks.
"The world does everything to recover the remains of a single settler, but remains silent on thousands of children buried beneath the rubble,” she said, adding that the voices of women and journalists ensure that "truth does not die.”
Adra condemned Israel’s long-standing strategy of obscuring facts by denying entry to journalists and detaining Palestinians without charge. "Most of them are journalists; their only crime is filming and telling the truth,” he said, noting that mainstream Western media outlets have repeatedly manipulated or concealed realities on the ground.
First Lady Erdoğan paid tribute to Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza, stating that nearly 300 have been targeted over the past two years, including 37 women. She honored the memory of Selma Muhaymar, a mother and journalist killed alongside her family.
Erdoğan criticized what she called the weaponization of information, saying certain Western media institutions "distort facts and legitimize massacres” while digital platforms manipulate algorithms to silence Palestinian voices. She stressed that Palestinian journalists, especially women, "hold a mirror to truth through their lens,” even while risking their lives.
Communications Director Duran said Türkiye has supported Gaza diplomatically and through direct measures, including sanctions and the suspension of relations. "Under President Erdoğan’s leadership, Türkiye’s efforts played a critical role in securing the cease-fire,” he noted. Duran added that the struggle now extends to digital sovereignty, warning that control over information channels is inseparable from national security.
The directorate also introduced a tri-language publication, "Killing the Truth: Israel’s War on Journalism,” documenting attacks against members of the press in Gaza.
The program concluded with two sessions, "Voices Defying Silence: Women Journalists’ Resistance in Gaza” and "Media Pressure: The Siege on Truth.”
Since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, Israeli authorities have prevented foreign journalists from entering the devastated territory, taking only a handful of reporters inside on tightly controlled visits alongside its troops.