In his speech at the 6th "Humanitarian Film Festival," organised by TRT World Citizen at Atatürk Cultural Centre this year, Presidency's Head of Communications Fahrettin Altun said, "It is the Western establishment that provides resources for Israel's crimes."
Head of Communications Altun hoped that the festival, which embodies TRT's steadfast broadcasting policy pursued under the motto "human is the essence," would be auspicious.
Head of Communications Altun emphasised that the festival centres on human and human-related issues, saying, "This festival underscores the significance of safeguarding human rights, social justice, peace, and addressing the effects of environmental problems on human life. It serves as a reminder of the significance of human life and its pivotal nature as truth. Regretfully, humanity is at the heart of a massive slaughter today."
Head of Communications Altun reminded us that last year, while delivering the opening speech of this festival, he addressed the ongoing economic crises, epidemics, famine, thirst, forced migration, and climate change in the world, concluding his remarks with a heartfelt wish for the healing of all these open wounds.
Head of Communications Altun pointed to Gaza, the West Bank, Hebron (Bab al-Khalil), Rafah and Jenin, emphasising that far more blood has started to ooze from the world's wounds over the past year.
Speaking about the cities of those people, who, in their last shelters, are being pelted with tonnes of bombs by the day, Head of Communications Altun said, "Furthermore, I am talking about the ancient city of Beirut. I am talking about the Islamic cities where efforts are underway to broaden the oppression. Today, I am once again shouting out loud from this platform to all those who are within our reach about the unpardonable crimes that Israel, a nation that has engraved its name in history as a "murderous state," has committed. Israel is a perpetrator of genocide, Israel is a murderer, and we are committed to working tirelessly to put an end to Israel's oppression and stop its crimes while exposing Israel's oppression and all its crimes to the entire world, using all means of communication and art at our disposal."
Reiterating that the festival focused on humanity, Altun highlighted a range of distressing facts that revolve around people.
"They are not figures"
Recalling that the sun had risen exactly 393 times since October 7, 2023, 786 newborns who had not even turned 1 year old had died ever since, and a total of 17,210 children had perished in Gaza in the last 393 harrowing days, Head of Communications Altun noted that an additional 11,742 women had lost their lives amidst the barrage of lethal bombs since then.
The Head of Communications stated that a total of 42,885 people in Gaza are no longer breathing, and 183 journalists, 1,047 healthcare workers, and 85 civil defence officers have been killed in the line of duty and said, "I can hear you saying, 'They are not figures; they are people.' They are not figures; they are people. Each and every one of them is a mother, father, child, spouse, brother, or sister. People who have endured 85,500 tons of explosives falling upon them over the last 393 days. People who have been left homeless and deprived of a mosque or church and who have been mercilessly murdered."
Noting that the oppression escalated throughout the region, the Head of Communications Altun said the massacre unfolding in Gaza is now growing through a butterfly effect in Türkiye's immediate geography.
Altun emphasised that they had come together to uphold human ideals through the unifying power of art, adding,
"We must loudly and resolutely proclaim this truth. All of this constitutes a blatant and undeniable crime against humanity. Those who attempt to conceal these crimes are complicit in this atrocity. The principal is Israel. Equally culpable is the Western establishment that supports Israel, striving to obscure its crimes while simultaneously providing resources for these crimes, thus emboldening Israel to commit them. They are the leading actors of the Western establishment. They are culpable, and we, as people who stand for truth and justice, must loudly and resolutely proclaim this truth."
"Global solution mechanisms cannot be created"
Explaining that artists and scientists who speak out today are unfortunately subjected to intense peer pressure, fired from their jobs, and face attempted social isolation, Head of Communications Altun stated, "No matter what, the loud voice of truth has always suppressed such tyranny schemes; history is full of examples of this. We think that as long as humanity, human dignity, conscience, and a global community of conscience endure, these oppressors will inevitably be cast into the annals of history, regardless of what they do, and we are fighting for it."
Head of Communications Altun indicated that he believes the works of art produced by artists' emotions and dedication are critical as they continue to fight.
Head of Communications Altun emphasised that the world is in the midst of a humanitarian tragedy that is not limited to the surrounding geography and that as the world leaves behind the first quarter of the two millennia, the human family is, unfortunately, living in an environment of global chaos on a scale unprecedented throughout history.
Head of Communications Altun stated that thousands of people die every day or are forced to flee the areas where they were born and raised and that, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, about 120 million people are forcefully displaced around the world today.
Head of Communications Altun said that according to United Nations figures, more than three-quarters of the world's refugees are housed in low or middle-income countries, adding, "As Türkiye has seen, developed countries with elevated levels of prosperity, on the other hand, are unsympathetic to this humanitarian disaster, sarcastically stating, 'I did not see it, I did not hear it, I cannot talk about it.' They are adopting a 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil' stance. However, this challenging atmosphere, which is mostly composed of Palestinian, Syrian, Iraqi, Ukrainian, Afghan, South Sudanese, and Myanmar migrants, represents only a fraction of the suffering endured by mankind."
Head of Communications Altun emphasised that while forced migrations continue, millions of people are facing hunger and famine, with no access to water or even the most basic health services. He also stated that the world is experiencing perhaps the worst food crisis in modern history as a result of wars, conflicts, the climate crisis, and global economic crises.
Head of Communications Altun stated that as of today, more than 200 million people have been driven to death as a result of the food shortage epidemic and that even in the world's most developed countries, hundreds of thousands of homeless people are on the streets, attempting to survive.
Head of Communications Altun noted that this has led to an increase in crime rates across various regions, saying, "What’s particularly noteworthy is that this crisis, which has sparked social fractures potentially leading to chaos, appears to be unavoidable, and there seems to be no intention to avert it." Unfortunately, global solution mechanisms cannot be created. In certain Western countries, typically recognised as the cradle of democracy and supposedly free from interference with freedom of expression and lifestyle, we are increasingly witnessing a rise in Islamophobia, racism, and xenophobia."
Head of Communications Altun said that another tragedy is taking place against children, pointing out that, just as terrorist organisations around the world drive children to fight on the front lines, mega corporations force children to work as labourers for profit, serving as concrete indicators of how dire the current humanitarian situation is.
"Both the hegemony of the West and its attempts to impose order have lost their relevance"
Head of Communications Altun pointed out that one of the often-neglected facts of the 21st century is the plight of women who face discrimination and even violence, saying that the data and statistics he presented convey significant insights.
Head of Communications Altun noted that humanity at the centre of suffering could not truly grasp its emotional state through numbers alone, emphasising that more than mere statistics are needed to feel and internalise these realities.
Head of Communications Altun highlighted that the artistic language, perspective, and philosophy come into play at this juncture, noting that the 301 films competing in the festival evoke emotions that numbers cannot instill into their souls thanks to the art's capacity to resonate with the heart.
Head of Communications Altun went on to say:
"Tragedies reduced to mere statistics are not the main catalyst for our mobilisation in the face of people-oriented issues. The most essential thing is to comprehend and sympathise with those who are alive. It is to feel the agony and produce genuinely aesthetic works with the soul scorched by it. This is only achievable with art and the efforts of our esteemed artists."
Head of Communications Altun referred to the global cultural hegemony and the Hollywood industry, which comes to mind in the world when it comes to cinema, stating that everyone remembers the propagandist productions of Hollywood, particularly those dealing with the Second World War, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq occupations, which have become cults.
Head of Communications Altun asserted that sustaining such cultural hegemony is unfeasible all at once, noting that today, Western digital platforms are progressing along the same trajectory established by Hollywood.
Remarking that historically, the West maintained a structure that constrained non-Western societies, albeit through coercion, which involved productions facilitating the emergence of cultural hegemony, Head of Communications Altun elaborated further:
"In the current global chaos and era of instability, the hegemony of the West and its attempts to impose order have lost their relevance. The Westernization or modernisation policies imposed by the West on non-Western societies have now lost their socio-political legitimacy. The instruments of cultural hegemony that rely on these have likewise lost ground. Today, the voices emerging from beyond the West, the demands for genuine cultural existence, and alternative perspectives are crucial components of a truly global community of conscience. I have been considering the Tabii platform in this field since its inception. Emerging from Türkiye, the Tabii platform is the product of the efforts of sincere people striving for the internationalisation of a fair and just cultural reality on the world stage. We believe that we will eradicate the injustices and anti-truth endeavours of Western cultural hegemony by leveraging truly potent content on this digital platform.
"We are ambitious in our efforts to eliminate the exploitation order and promote the advancement of this world"
Noting that this festival, like the Tabii platform, has a strong cry of existence emerging from the non-Western world, Türkiye, Head of Communications Altun stated, "We, the marginalised societies, people of the world, people whose voices are suppressed, are here; we exist; our voice, our existence is real." We exist on this planet, and we have ideas about its future. We are working tirelessly for the future of the world. We have just as much say over the fate of the planet as Westerners. We are ambitious in our efforts to eliminate the exploitation order and promote the advancement of this world. We make this call to the entire world again using these cultural tools. It is the result of this endeavour."
Head of Communications Altun stated that the TRT World Citizen Humanitarian Festival tries to fulfil an important responsibility by focusing on humanitarian content and that it accomplishes this by bringing together artists who create works that help people understand the oppressed around the world, adding that he found this festival very valuable.
Head of Communications Altun said, "Such events allow us to view and understand numerous human stories that might otherwise go unnoticed in our regular routines. In other words, they remind us that we are inherently human, with both rights and moral obligations stemming from our humanity."
Head of Communications Altun underlined that it is with great assurance that he asserts the spiritual heritage of the Republic of Türkiye, forged over millennia, encourages us to perceive every facet of life through the prism of our conscience, adding, "Türkiye's principle, 'Let the people live so that the state lives,' frequently articulated by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, underscores that it extends beyond our borders. That is why we often say, 'Türkiye is bigger than Türkiye.' The principle of letting the people live so that the state lives has begun in Türkiye but resonates globally. It should be noted that the initiatives that our country has launched in various regions, whether near or far, to promote peace, justice, stability, and security have already been recorded in history."
Head of Communications Altun stated that Anatolia is home to people who are the first to rush to help whenever they see an oppressed or a needy person, who know that sharing what they have is the greatest virtue and that silence in the face of injustice is the greatest evil, adding, "Today, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Türkiye is leading the way in the comprehension of global justice through this profound philosophy. In alignment with this philosophy, he asserts that 'the world is bigger than five.' Through this philosophy, he advocates for the notion that ‘a fairer world is possible.'”
Head of Communications Altun stated that it is evident that the TRT successfully embodies our nation's dedication to fostering global peace and stability within its operational framework, defining it as a fact that instils a profound sense of pride in them and adding, "The TRT World Citizen Humanitarian Film Festival serves as an institutional manifestation of Türkiye's sensitivities regarding this matter. The fact that 301 films from 63 different nations applied to this festival this year is incredibly essential and critical for the development of a global community of conscience. We strongly support this festival, which has now become a tradition, to bring together valuable producers and directors who also serve humanity with their works."
Head of Communications Altun congratulated TRT Director General Mehmet Zahid Sobacı and all TRT employees who keep "human beings and the entirety of human values" on the agenda by holding international organisations, as well as those who supported the festival and the jury members and expressed hope that the festival would be a lasting initiative and make significant contributions toward ensuring peace, prosperity, justice, and stability for the humanity.
