Director of Communications Altun: "Those who conduct these disinformation campaigns are trying to condemn us to a spiral of black propaganda and lies. We will not surrender to these lies and the malice behind them, Allah willing. In the same way that we fight for Palestine, we will fight for the truth, struggle for it, and ultimately prevail, Allah willing."
With the participation of Emine Erdoğan, the spouse of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the opening ceremony of the event "Preserved for One Hundred Years: Letters from Prisoners of War by the Turkish Red Crescent Society" was held at the Anatolia Hall of the Nation's Library. During his speech at the opening ceremony, Presidency's Director of Communications, Fahrettin Altun, expressed their pleasure to be with the guests at the opening ceremony of the exhibition organised by the Turkish Red Crescent in cooperation with TRT.
Director of Communications Altun stated that history is the history of wars for some and of civilizations for others, and he indicated that history refers to all conflicts or interactions between societies.
Stating that history is essentially the struggle between right and wrong after all, Director of Communications Altun noted that this land, this territory, and this civilization on which Türkiye has risen are essentially the result, the summary of the struggles and wars waged in defence of rights throughout history.
Director of Communications Altun stated that history books write about the great armies, commanders, and heroes who fought these wars and said that the soldiers, the real heroes of these wars, whose stories are anonymous, are actually the real protagonists of history.
Director of Communications Altun emphasised the fact that each of these heroes had their own unique and authentic accounts, and he noted that the true science of history is the effort to bring together these accounts.
"These stories demonstrate the knowledge and strength of the Anatolian people"
Director of Communications Altun stated that today we are gathered to hear the stories of some of the unsung heroes who shaped Turkish history and secured independence, and went on to say:
"We will see and hear the stories of noble people who fought for their homeland, dignity, and nation about 100 years ago and became prisoners during this war." These stories are full of longing, love, compassion, bravery, and kindness. These stories demonstrate the knowledge and strength of the Anatolian people. These are our stories; they are the stories of the values that shape who we are. These stories are told to us in letters sent to the families of prisoners taken by the enemy while fighting for the Ottoman Empire in World War I. We are proud to share these letters with the public and our nation through the exhibition titled "Preserved for One Hundred Years: Letters from Prisoners of War."
Director of Communications Altun mentioned that the letters in the Turkish Red Crescent archive were carefully presented to the public at the Nation's Library. He explained that during the First World War, the Hilal-I Ahmar Society (later known as the Red Crescent) established a mechanism through the Commission of Prisoners. This mechanism was designed to help Turkish prisoners held by the Allied powers and foreign prisoners in the Ottoman state communicate with their families.
Director of Communications Altun stated that this mechanism is an initiative that showcases the modesty, elegance, and humanity of a remarkable civilization and emphasised that these letters narrate a genuine history, primarily consisting of unfinished stories.
Director of Communications Altun mentioned that there are letters and unread lines that did not reach their intended recipients due to various reasons, despite the recipients patiently and persistently waiting for them, and went on to say,
"Essentially, the incompleteness being discussed here bears a striking resemblance to the state of our beloved nation during that period in history. From the period of Tanzimat ("Reorganisation") to the years of armistice, our beloved nation has consistently grappled with a sense of incompleteness. This is the incompleteness of a will that renders every land it traverses an island of peace. This sense is accompanied by the awareness of preserving it while it is still alive and expanding in abundance in unity and fraternity. Today, we can observe the traces of this sense of incompleteness in various regions across the globe, such as the Balkans, North Africa, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Regrettably, we collectively endure the suffering inflicted by this unfinished story in all these territories.
"Today, the Israeli occupation industry has today become a threat to world peace, let alone regional peace"
Director of Communications Altun stated that these lands seek tranquillity, justice, peace, and well-being, adding:
"Here is Gaza, here is Palestine... The persecution in Palestine is not a recent phenomenon; it is one of the heartbreaking consequences of our unfinished, uncompleted history. Israel's atrocities, massacres, and attempted genocide in Gaza today are a reflection of a historical order characterised by oppression and plunder. The Israeli occupation industry, encouraged and supported by the Western colonial order throughout the twentieth century, İsrail işgal endüstrisi a threat to world peace, let alone regional peace. Today, Israel is killing babies, children, women, and the elderly, targeting health professionals, journalists, NGO volunteers, and United Nations personnel, and dropping bombs on them. Slaughtering innocent people, children, and women; bombing hospitals, schools, and homes; and deliberately targeting journalists, doctors, and health professionals is clearly a war crime, an act of cruelty, brutality, and enormity. At the source of this cruelty is a clear motivation for slaughter and vengeance."
Director of Communications Altun underscored the fact that Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is exerting every effort to eliminate this oppression and noted the following:
"Our President made a very important speech two days ago and gave a very clear message to our nation and the whole world. Our President said, 'We have never left our brothers and sisters in Gaza unprotected, helpless, and alone, and we never will. Be assured that we have been doing much more than meets the eye regarding the Palestinian issue and the incidents in Gaza, and we will continue to do so.' May Allah bestow upon our President even greater strength. With the firm stand and astute leadership of our President, Türkiye strives both to put an end to the persecution in Gaza as soon as possible and to establish an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of 1967 borders.
Once more, in accordance with the responsibility given to us by our President, we are combating the systematic lies, black propaganda, and disinformation campaigns of Western and Israeli media organisations and politicians that seek to obscure and even legitimise this oppression while also striving to expose and proclaim the truth. Those who carry out these disinformation campaigns are trying to condemn us to a spiral of black propaganda and lies. They want us to be trapped in this spiral. They wish for our struggles to destroy our hopes and for our hopelessness to drive us to despair, inaction, and surrender to the oppressors. We will not surrender to these lies and the malice behind them, Allah willing. In the same way that we fight for Palestine, we will fight for the truth, struggle for it, and ultimately prevail, Allah willing."
Director of Communications Altun said, as the Republic of Türkiye, they once again call on the world public, international organisations, and states to oppose the human tragedy in Gaza and to take responsibility, hoping that under the leadership of President Erdoğan, they will set an example for international actors with their people-oriented, stabilising foreign policy based on peace and security.
Director of Communications Altun stated that the stance adopted by Türkiye is is founded on a concern for humanity and conscience, citing First Lady Emine Erdoğan's genuine efforts towards peace, the children in Gaza, and the oppressed and less fortunate as examples of this stance.
Thanking all of his co-workers for their contributions to the exhibition, the Turkish Red Crescent for granting access to its archives, TRT, and staff working at the Nation's Library of the Presidency, Director of Communications Altun expressed his heartfelt gratitude to First Lady Erdoğan for attending the event.
Director of Communications Altun wished Allah's mercy on all the martyrs, indicating that the letters exhibited here as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Republic demonstrate that we have a deep-rooted, strong history full of valour.
First Lady Emine Erdoğan speaks at opening ceremony of "Preserved for One Hundred Years: Letters from Prisoners of War"
First Lady Emine Erdoğan congratulated the descendants of a nation that fought valiantly against the great powers with its men and women to defend their homeland that turned into the front line at every corner on the 100th anniversary of the Republic, and expressed her delight at meeting with the guests at the Presidential Complex on the occasion of this exhibition.
First Lady Emine Erdoğan expressed pride in having an army that has been known for courage and justice for more than two millennia, dating back to Mete Khan, and expressed confidence that they will remain in unity and solidarity for many centuries to come, having paid a high price for freedom and independence.
"The presence and value of Türkiye become increasingly apparent with every passing day"
First Lady Emine Erdoğan said, "Despite everything, we continue to exist as an island of stability in a geography surrounded by states that have not been able to establish the law in peace that our soldiers observe while fighting. That is why the presence and value of Türkiye in our kindred geography become increasingly apparent with every passing day. I would like to thank the Turkish Red Crescent Society for reminding us of our National Struggle epic with this meaningful exhibition, which comes at a time when we are all working to bring peace to our region."
Emine Erdoğan stated that, Turkish Red Crescent Society has been bringing hope to people all over the world since 1868, and reminded that the Red Crescent was originally known as the "Ottoman Aid Society for the Wounded and Sick Soldiers".
Emine Erdoğan stated that the Turkish Red Crescent Society has provided many services, including identifying and locating soldiers and civilians captured during years of war, as well as meeting their nutritional and health needs.
"The Israeli army is attempting to erase a nation from history."
First Lady Emine Erdoğan pointed out that in an age when transportation and communication opportunities were very limited, letters, hopes, hand-sewn clothes, dried foods, and cash were delivered to their owners by crossing continents, and continued her words as follows:
"In the twenty-first century, Gaza's communication with the rest of the world is cut off in front of humanity's eyes. Hospitals, ambulances, Red Crescent and Red Cross warehouses, places of worship, and schools are among the targets. Aid trucks are held at the border, water and energy are cut off, and our ships, which have been converted into field hospitals, are unable to dock and provide treatment. There is an atrocity that the world has never seen before, and it cannot even be called a war. The Israeli army, armed with cutting-edge technology, is attempting to erase a nation from history by targeting civilians, particularly children. Weapons of mass destruction are being pointed at innocent children in violation of international law. The values that make people human are disappearing. International law is being violated."
Emine Erdoğan noted that we are living in times similar to those described by poet Mehmet Akif in the lines "this disgraceful invasion is a lowness even for plague," and added:
"Like our ancestors, our consideration during this process is not land. Our concern has always been about human rights and dignity. It is a matter of not destroying once-conquered hearts and of not remaining silent and a spectator to their anguish. The matter is whether we will leave this world applauding oppression or being allies of those who are oppressed. Like our ancestors, we have no other goal but to put an end to the bloodshed in Gaza, Ukraine, Jerusalem, Yemen, Baghdad, Aleppo, and Damascus.
Whether in Gaza, Yemen, Somalia, Al-Quds, or Arakan, we refuse to tolerate the slaughter of oppressed people, as well as bullets and bombs falling upon children, women, and the elderly. We therefore regard all the oppressed in the world as entrusted and mobilise in an effort to establish lasting peace."
Commemorating the martyrs who will bear this honourable rank until the final judgement on behalf of the entire nation with respect and gratitude in the presence of their relatives in the hall, First Lady Emine Erdoğan greeted with respect all the veterans, as well as the mothers and fathers who said "Long live the homeland" in remembrance of their deceased children, who advised their mothers not to shed tears in the event that they become martyrs.
Following her address, First Lady Emine Erdoğan gave the families the letters penned by their loved ones while they were in captivity.
Presidency's Director of Communications, Fahrettin Altun, and President of the Turkish Red Crescent, Fatma Meriç Yılmaz, also accompanied First Lady Emine Erdoğan.
In remembrance of the occasion, Director of Communications Altun and Yılmaz then presented one of the letters to First Lady Emine Erdoğan.
After the speeches, First Lady Emine Emine Erdoğan, the Presidency's Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun and the accompanying guests toured the exhibition.
Director of Communications Altun's social media post on the exhibition
In a post on his social media account about the exhibition titled Preserved for One Hundred Years: Letters from Prisoners of War by the Turkish Red Crescent Society, Director of Communications Altun noted:
With the Preserved for One Hundred Years Project, we honour the memory of prisoners of war who paid a great price for our homeland and who were separated from their homeland, freedom, and loved ones, and we hand over their centennial legacy to our citizens. We are delivering the letters that were written for the families of our soldiers who were captured during World War I but were unable to be delivered to their designated addresses to the surviving relatives of our soldiers, and we are making them available to the public. The Preserved for One Hundred Years: Letters from Prisoners of War Exhibition will be open to the public between November 7 and December 7 at the Anatolia Exhibition Hall of the Nation's Library of the Presidential Complex. All our people are invited."
