Director of Communications Altun: “Thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's groundbreaking efforts, Türkiye has been the voice of various oppressed regions, particularly Palestine, and has supported their rightful causes. Attempting to undermine Türkiye's might and achievements is, to say the least, a sign of weakness."
The Presidency's Director of Communications, Fahrettin Altun, spoke to the digital news platform Fokusplus and shared insights on the fight against disinformation, disinformation efforts regarding Israel's attacks on Gaza, and Israel's pressure on the Western media.
Emphasising that the essential value of communication was accurate information, Director of Communications Altun stated that the transition from modernity to post-modernity manifested itself in the field of communication, with artificial and fake content replacing the truth.
Underscoring the need for an all-out fight against communication deviances such as disinformation, misinformation, malinformation, fake news, and information disorder that strengthen the post-truth era, Director of Communications Altun stated that it has been observed that Western media outlets do not refrain from resorting to disinformation regarding our region, particularly Türkiye.
Pointing out that the Directorate of Communications views disinformation and manipulation as a matter of national security, not a simple issue in the field of media, Director of Communications Altun said, “No matter how idealised it may be or how widespread it becomes, lies, incomplete and inaccurate information have no value. The antidote to fabricated content is accurate information, that is, the truth itself. We are members of a civilization that places truth at the centre of life. Therefore, we will continue to champion the idea of truth and uphold the truth itself. We will maintain our fight for the truth by shattering the mirrors in the echo chambers with all the means at our disposal, particularly through our Centre for Combating Disinformation."
Stating that disinformation has grown into an issue that threatens global security and peace, Director of Communications Altun emphasised that it has become essential to address this issue not only at the national level but also through international cooperation.
Director of Communications Altun said, "As Türkiye, we have demonstrated a steadfast will to mark the Century of Türkiye as a century of communication, as stated by our President on numerous occasions. And, as part of this process, we acknowledge the problem of disinformation as an issue that can have severe ramifications within the global crisis of truth."
Highlighting that the legitimate and justified arguments put forth by Türkiye in the national and international arena are being targeted by perception management operations masquerading as truth, Director of Communications Altun said, "As our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated, there is almost a systematic campaign being conducted to veil the truth. However, we have dispelled these perception operations each and every time. We also took advantage of the benefits of systematic work, but our greatest asset was to be right. Exposing disinformation and revealing the facts and truths is not only a requirement of righteousness but also an obligation that comes with commitment to the truth. We will always remain firmly committed to fulfilling this obligation."
Referring to the activities of the Centre for Combating Disinformation, Director of Communications Altun noted that the fight against disinformation is not limited to Türkiye alone and that they also focus on geographies with an international scope and a direct impact on humanity, particularly on the region. Director of Communications Altun went on to say:
“For example, Israel has been using disinformative content and fake information to justify the massacres it has committed in Gaza since October 7 and to win over international opinion. However, we withstood the deluge of lies disseminated by Israel. We exposed the fake news and false information it was circulating. We have exposed approximately 200 grave disinformation attempts by Israel through the "Palestine Special" Disinformation Bulletins we have published. We shared the truth with the international community. All of Israel's lies, which we exposed, were reflected in international public opinion and served as a reference for Israel's trial process. Furthermore, several international media outlets, which, acting under the influence of Israel, assumed the task of disseminating its lies, have been compelled to reconsider their positions."
"Disinformation also threatens global security and peace"
Remarking that Israel has been working systematically on this issue from the very beginning, Director of Communications Altun said:
"Because Israel's presence in the Palestinian territories, as well as its ongoing and expanding occupation, is illegal, and its attacks are inhumane, the information it disseminates through the media, particularly via international media outlets, is intended to conceal and cover up its actions. It is also clear that Israel's hybrid threats and disinformation are directed at global public opinion. We know that the Israeli army sends concept sets and glossaries to Western media outlets in order to reinforce its occupier/settler narratives. Since October 7, Israel has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians while trying to cover up its identity as an invader and occupier. At least half of them were women and children. There is no doubt that these concept sets and glossaries are designed to maintain narrative supremacy and legitimacy. Israel has utilised its political, diplomatic, and economic power, as well as the relationships it has established in these fields, to justify its actions in Palestine and Gaza. It is important to recognise that the use of Israeli discourse by Western media outlets undermines their independence and impartiality. What matters more is the desire to let the truth fade away through the media outlets. Given the responsibilities of media organs, this situation will ultimately result in the decay and death of the media. It is certainly unethical to use disinformation to combat disinformation. In that case, members of the press should report news by considering the most fundamental moral rules, following their moral compass and advocating for the truth. There is no other way to fight information pollution."
"Attempting to undermine Türkiye's might and achievements is a sign of weakness"
Pointing out that the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza so far is approximately 30,000, Director of Communications Altun stated that this has not received as much attention as disinformative claims such as "beheaded babies," which was clearly false.
Director of Communications Altun said that Palestinians were portrayed as non-human beings whose existence, lives, and lands were worthless due to Israeli media pressure and added, "Thanks to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's groundbreaking efforts, Türkiye has been the voice of various oppressed regions, particularly Palestine, and has supported their rightful causes. Attempting to undermine Türkiye's might and achievements is, to say the least, a sign of weakness. The importance of helping the oppressed and speaking up for them cannot be overstated, just as the truth cannot be hidden. And we do not expect anyone to appreciate us for taking care of the oppressed. On the contrary, we carry out the obligations that our history, faith, humanity, and, most significantly, Türkiye's mission demand of us and we shall continue to do the same."
"We tried to speak up for our oppressed brothers and sisters in Gaza"
Director of Communications Altun underlined that Türkiye, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, focused on the political, military and diplomatic dimensions of these events, as well as the communication and media dimensions, and made the following assessments:
"Throughout this process, we have always tried to stand firm alongside our Palestinian brothers and sisters. We attempted to support the Palestinian cause and amplify the voices of our persecuted brothers and sisters in Gaza through international events organised by our Directorate of Communications, such as Bulletproof Dreams: Gaza Child Artists Exhibition, Media's Struggle for Truth in the Gaza War Symposium, One Heart for Palestine Summit and numerous publications on this subject. Through our Centre for Combating Disinformation, we are dedicated to breaking Israel's media control and disclosing the truth about this subject. In this process, AA and TRT are also working hard to uncover the realities on the ground and bring them to the forefront of global public opinion. The Extraordinary Session of Information Ministers of the Member States of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation is another major example of our institutional initiatives' international scope.
Israel's occupation of Gaza will eventually end. But we will not forget what happened today; we will bring Israel's atrocities, war crimes, and genocide to the world community's attention whenever possible, and we will not stop talking about Israel's lengthy criminal record."