Distinguished Participants, Members of the Press:

I welcome you, once again, to the TRT World Forum.

I am delighted to be here with you for this session titled “Journalism on the Frontlines: From Battlefield Risks to Algorithmic Suppression.”

In this session, we will be discussing the challenges of war journalism. We listen to reporters who have bravely confronted them on the ground and risked their lives for the truth.

We are very pleased and honored to have you all here.

The current and evolving challenges of war reporting have never been more important. We wanted to ensure that this international forum, TRT World Forum, addressed the struggles of war journalists. We should all be humbled by their experience, and we still have a lot to learn from them.

I look forward to listening to these courageous reporters who carry the marks and memories of the frontlines.

As you might all know, war journalism is among the most fundamental pillars of public communication today. It documents facts, offers context and helps us make sense of what is going on and when violence obscures the truth in the most difficult times, such as those days.

We are living through an increasingly unpredictable and dangerous era in which conventional conflict has returned.

The international order established after two world wars is now crumbling. It is a particularly perilous environment for our colleagues reporting from the conflict zones.

Some of the most influential countries now declare the “peace interval” to be over.

Now they are revising their defense budgets and threat perceptions with the expectation that there will be a war.

Film producers, 10 years ago, focused on fictional themes such as aliens and superheroes. Now they are reintroducing the reality of conventional warfare.

War, whichever side you are on, inevitably brings tragedy.

Gaza, Ukraine, Kashmir, Syria and Sudan: all of these regions are just some of those that have endured the most ruthless face of conflict in recent memory.

Seeking meaningful solutions to crises with global implications is essential for humanity’s welfare. The destructive power of modern technology means that even “victors” are never truly triumphant; destruction, loss, and trauma linger through generations.

Please allow me to recall the words of our President, His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has spared no effort to resolve regional and global issues and assumed every responsibility for peace:

"No one can afford to ignore a problem anywhere in the world, abstain from contributing to its solution, or postpone their contribution.  For the sake of humanity’s common future, everyone is obliged to shoulder responsibility. Guided by this understanding, we strive sincerely to fulfil our responsibility in regional and global affairs.”

Distinguished Participants,

There is an often-repeated truth about war.

“In war, the first casualty is the truth.”

Propaganda, counter-propaganda, and news manipulation have accompanied warfare throughout history. But today’s hybrid wars go much further:

TRUTH HAS BECOME A TARGET.

The message on a screen can now be as powerful — and as dangerous — as a weapon on the ground.

We have all witnessed how some countries are using disinformation to shape perceptions and hide facts: sometimes even denying images of starving infants in Gaza as mere fabrications.

To kill the truth is to normalize and legitimize massacres, genocides, occupations, and destruction. 

War reporters document cruelty and courage, oppression and resistance, helplessness and loss. Actually, they stand as critical pillars of global conscience and a sense of justice in the world.

A war journalist’s tools — a camera, a pen, a press vest, a helmet — all of them represent courage and dedication.

Yet, as we all know, they no longer guarantee safety.

We still remember the Palestinian reporter in Gaza who took off his press vest and said during a live broadcast:

“These do not protect us.”

Sadly, this was not an exaggeration.

Unfortunately, more than 250 journalists have been deliberately targeted and killed by the murderous Israeli forces during the two-year-long genocide.

When truth becomes a target, those who tell the truth become targets too.

We saw this before — in Rwanda, in Bosnia, and of course in Gaza.

It was also war journalists who helped the world see the reality of those genocides, and whose reports later served as key evidence in international trials.

I remember with mercy and salute those journalists who gave their lives in pursuit of the truth.

May their souls rest in peace in heaven.

And I thank the journalists here today who, despite extreme circumstances, continue to report on Gaza’s reality and defend the public’s right to know.

They have been successful in drawing global attention to the genocide they witnessed.

The international community, though quite late, has finally recognized Gaza’s honorable resistance and legitimate cause. Many countries have even begun to support it.

This awakening was possible with the courageous activities of the journalists.

You all know the honorable example of the Palestinian journalist Saleh Aljafarawi. His media account, which had millions of followers, was promptly deactivated following his death.

The massacred journalist’s only sin was calling out Israel's war crimes on his social media account. He sacrificed his life and was silenced by the oppressors, but his example lives on.

Silencing his account was an attempt to silence the truth itself.

And this brings us to the new and dangerous form of censorship we call it “algorithmic suppression.”
In the digital era, the truth can be buried not by bullets, but by algorithms.

News stories, photos, or videos that reveal uncomfortable realities can be hidden, downgraded, or completely removed from visibility.

A story may technically exist online, but no one ever sees it.

This is a subtle and powerful form of control — a kind of digital dictatorship.

It decides what the world sees and what it ignores.

Distinguished guests,

For years, traditional media monopolies manufactured consent by distorting the truth to fit their political objectives.

Now, powerful media organizations seek to preserve their dominance over the narrative by attempting to re-establish in the digital sphere the information hierarchies they built in traditional media.

We have all seen how language is used to shape perception:

When Israel attacks, it is called “self-defense.”

When Palestinians resist occupation, it is called “terror.”

Palestinians who are imprisoned and tortured are described as “detainees,” while Israelis held in conflict are “hostages.”

When Palestinians are killed, the reports say they “died.”

When Israelis die, the reports say they “were killed.”

These word choices are not random — actually they create sympathy for one side and dehumanize the other.

Distinguished Participants,

Governments, civil society, media organizations, and journalists have become to discuss how we should respond to this algorithmic suppression.

At a time when technological progress, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence, is advancing at an unprecedented pace, we must stand united in combating fake news, disinformation, and algorithmic suppression.

In the face of emerging military-informational complex formed by certain social media platforms, genocidal states, and technology companies, every actor bears significant responsibility.

As the Communications Directorate, we are working to establish an infrastructure of truth to ensure algorithmic justice. Türkiye will be at the forefront of the fight to safeguard the truth, strengthen social resilience against fake news through media literacy, and increase public awareness.

I truly believe that a fairer and more truthful media world can only be built by communicators who are dedicated to honesty and humanity.

I know that it is not an easy mission, but it is a necessary one.

Because only when truth survives, can justice prevail.

Meanwhile, our journalists and war correspondents will continue to bring the realities of the field to light, employing information shields against weapons of disinformation through verification networks.

Today, among us are journalists who have reported from Gaza, Ukraine, and Lebanon among others, bearing witness to wars and human tragedies.

Wael al-Dahdouh, Al-Jazeera’s Gaza Bureau Chief, has both endured and documented Israel’s atrocities—as a Palestinian and as a journalist.

Many members of his family, including his children and even his grandchild, were killed in Israeli attacks.

Sami Shehada (Şeheda), a TRT Arabic photojournalist and cameraman, was wounded and lost his leg while reporting on Israel’s assaults against civilians.

Despite the unbearable weight of such personal losses, they never wavered in their commitment to journalism and to the truth.

Yet, they and many other fearless journalists continue to face censorship and algorithmic suppression when attempting to share their testimonies with the world.

Distinguished Guests,

The circumstances we have discussed compel us to reconsider the extreme injustices in the global media order, including the digital sphere.

At the Directorate of Communications, we view the establishment of a fair, conscientious, and pluralistic media system as a necessity.

The “Century of Türkiye” vision put forward by our President promotes a global media order centered on truth, justice, and humanitarian values.

In line with this vision, we are making every effort across our institutions.

We also regard every journalist who upholds ethical and moral principles as a valued partner in this endeavor.

I hope that this forum will give productive results in the communication field, and I extend my deepest gratitude to the TRT family, the panelists, and all the participants.

Thank you.

Prof. Dr. Burhanettin DURAN

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