Director of Communications Altun said, "The major media outlets of Western countries have made an inexplicable and blatant effort to conceal this massacre against Palestinians from the international public. History will never forgive this hypocrisy, this malice that has inflicted deep wounds upon the collective conscience of humankind, leaving it shattered. When the time comes, those who remain silent in the face of oppressors and oppression will bear witness to the unveiling of this malice and its motives, which will stand as a testament to their shame."
Presidency's Director of Communications, Fahrettin Altun, addressed the "Turkic News Agencies Media Summit: Alliance in Media & Vision for Future" organised by Anadolu Agency.
Altun expressed his hope for the summit to be auspicious both for the region and the world while also strengthening the bonds of brotherhood.
Director of Communications Altun stated that the organisation, which was renamed the "Organisation of Turkic States (OTS)" at the İstanbul Summit in 2021, will maintain the brotherhood among Turkic states and strengthen bilateral relations. Additionally, he emphasised that the organisation, which was founded on a shared sociocultural heritage and a shared history, now has a voice not only at a regional level but also an international one.
Presidency's Director of Communications Altun stated that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan places significant emphasis on relations with the Turkic world. He also emphasised that the Presidency's Directorate of Communications places a premium on collaboration with the Organisation of Turkic States, that they provide support to the organization's efforts in accordance with President Erdoğan's directives, and that they endeavour to maintain the highest standard of cooperation.
Stating that it was decided at the meeting they hosted in Istanbul in May 2022 that the OTS Media Forum would be made permanent, Director of Communications Altun said, "Within this framework, we agreed that the inaugural meeting of the Union of Turkic News Agencies would once again be held in Istanbul. Today, we hope that this summit, which we are holding in collaboration with the news agencies of the brotherly countries represented here, will be a watershed moment that shows what can be done in this field in the near future. I believe that the establishment of the Union of Turkic News Agencies will make significant contributions to the Turkic World Vision–2040."
Emphasising that having a strong presence in the fields of communication, media and information is not a choice but an absolute necessity today, Altun noted that today, Türkiye and the countries in the Turkic world face and fight against numerous detrimental efforts ranging from Islamophobia to hate speech, terrorism, and racism.
Director of Communications Altun noted that countries that fail to effectively manage their communication processes while addressing the aforementioned problems and challenges may remain incapable of defending their arguments before the international public, even when they are right on a number of issues.
"Türkiye's Communication Model"
Stressing that Türkiye has made its existing capacity more systematised through the Presidency's Directorate of Communications and has exerted an intensive effort to make Türkiye's voice heard in the world as well as to establish its position as a bridge between the state and the nation, Altun continued as follows:
"Under the leadership of our President, we convey all these efforts in the field of communication under the title of 'Türkiye's Communication Model', which is the outcome of a comprehensive strategy and planning. In accordance with this model, we exert efforts on a wide range of platforms in all areas of communication and media, from public relations to public diplomacy, from combating disinformation to crisis management, with a perspective that prioritises public interest, truth, justice, peace, and tranquillity. With the 'Türkiye's Communication Model', we endeavour to be the strong voice of our nation and inform the entire world about Türkiye's opportunities, capabilities, and achievements, and we continue our struggle for global justice and truth with determination. In doing so, we seek to establish a claim not only within the borders of our country but also in our immediate geography and at the global level. This indicates a concerted effort, spanning from foreign policy to communication and media, to establish stability, justice, and peace all over the world, especially in our immediate geography. With this effort, we are really striving to become the flagbearer of the struggle for truth."
Director of Communications Altun also addressed Israel's attitude during its attacks on Gaza, which disregarded human rights and constituted a war crime.
Director of Communications Altun stated that Türkiye is making every effort in terms of communications and diplomatic initiatives, adding: "Türkiye, in cooperation with all its institutions operating in the field of communications and media, has demonstrated an attitude prioritising the truth and justice, particularly in response to the biassed broadcasting served by Western media outlets, so to speak, at the command of the Israeli army." In fact, similar to Israel's indiscriminate attacks in Gaza, an attack is being carried out against the truth and those who stand for the truth throughout the entire communication and media ecosystem, particularly on new media platforms."
Director of Communications Altun slams Western media
Director of Communications Altun referred to the recent death toll of 46 journalists as a result of Israeli attacks and said:
"Through its attacks, Israel denies journalists the right to life, let alone the right to uncover and communicate the truth. It is with great sorrow that I inform you that Mohammed al-Alul, a cameraman for the Anadolu Agency stationed in Gaza, tragically lost four of his children in one of these attacks the other night. I hereby wish Allah's mercy upon the innocent and impeccable children of our brother, Mohammed al-Alul, who were killed in an Israeli airstrike. I wish him patience and express my condolences for his unbearable suffering."
Director of Communications Altun went on to say, "The major media outlets of Western countries have made an inexplicable and blatant effort to conceal this massacre against Palestinians from the international public. History will never forgive this hypocrisy, this malice that has inflicted deep wounds upon the collective conscience of humankind, leaving it shattered. When the time comes, this malice and the reasons behind it will be held against those who remain silent in the face of oppressors and oppression as a testimony of their shame."
"It is well-known who controls a sizable portion of global capital"
Further, Altun asserted that the malice of Western media corporations is not without purpose, adding:
"One of the primary causes of this malice is that these corporations are profoundly ingrained in global capital and are fundamentally committed to sustaining the global order of exploitation. It is well-known who controls a sizable portion of global capital. These media outlets are well aware of the consequences of failing to cover up or whitewash Israel's attacks, or, in other words, war crimes. They are hiding behind the privileged groups whose instructions they follow, and if they fail to do so, it will become crystal clear that the so-called high values and ideals of the West, which they use to exploit the entire world, will turn out to be mere deceptions. The media outlets in question are working hard to deceive the global public, with the majority of their efforts going beyond hiding the facts and focusing on spreading lies and fake news. Yes, we are faced with systematic disinformation, and this systematic disinformation is not the result of randomly generated information inflation. It is the result of malice intentionally spread by some significant Western media outlets. This disinformation and systematic fake news campaign is essentially an act of deceit intended to obscure cruelty and malice."
"We will continue to fight against oppression, injustice and human rights violations"
Director of Communications Altun said that Israel's disinformation efforts are conducted simultaneously with the attacks, not only by anonymous accounts but also by senior officials of major states.
Director of Communications Altun stated that they are doing their best to combat this disinformation campaign and said, "In response to Israel and its supporters' disinformation campaigns, Türkiye is working hard to uncover the veil on the truth and immediately bring the facts to the attention of the entire global public. Such attempts to manipulate global public opinion in order to cover up war crimes and legitimise genocide have the potential to lead to a much deeper crisis in our region and even the world. The global public should be deeply concerned about this potential. In addition, under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we will continue to advocate for peace, justice, and the truth with tenacity while fighting oppression, injustice, and human rights violations."
Director of Communications Altun stated that they saw that Türkiye's stance in favour of justice and truth had upset some people and said, "We will continue to do our best to end this humanitarian tragedy as soon as possible, regardless of who is disturbed or opposed. We will continue to do so in terms of foreign policy and diplomatic initiatives, as well as in terms of communication and media. We, as the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, as well as Anadolu Agency, TRT, and other media organisations, will continue to defend the right and the truth with all the means and tools at our disposal. We will strive to enlighten the world public opinion with accurate information, as attempts are made to paralyse its power to act through perception distortion. In this regard, we believe Türkiye is a central power and should shoulder this responsibility, and we support this effort. We will persist in asserting strongly to the international community that numerous challenges in the Middle East stem from a deeper, more fundamental issue known as the 'Israeli issue'."
"As Turkic states, we rely on a deep-rooted state tradition spanning thousands of years," Altun said, adding that they are the representatives of an ancient civilization in the twenty-first century.
"We are stronger together"
Director of Communications Altun stated that the Turkic world, with its rich culture, centuries-old historical accumulation, and unshakeable values and traditions, will leave its mark on the 21st century and beyond, and added:
"I would like to state unequivocally that 'Century of Türkiye' is not a vision that is solely concerned with the well-being of the Republic of Türkiye. The name 'Century of Türkiye' refers to a future vision that aims to contribute to the rise and strengthening of friendly and fellow countries such as yours. We all see that the cooperation and solidarity we display among ourselves as Turkic states not only makes us stronger but also contributes to developing a shared resilience against the challenges we face on a regional and global scale. We do not and cannot envision a future apart from the Turkic world, to which we are bound by heart with feelings of brotherhood in every success that Türkiye strives for. At this point, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who assisted with this process and contributed to our organisation reaching this level, particularly our leaders. I hope our meeting will be fruitful, and I extend my heartfelt greetings to you all. We are stronger together."
