By Janet Ekstract ISTANBUL – The Turkish Directorate of Communications head Fahrettin Altun said disinformation is a major global issue in the media and that Israel is a prime example. Fahrettin, who spoke at an event on disinformation on Friday in Istanbul said of the Israeli government: “They tried to kill the truth but we strongly fought against Israel’s policy of disinformation.” Altun pointed out that Israel turned the tables on Turkiye , after the Turkish government spoke out against Israel’s brutality in the Gaza Strip. He added there is “a bombardment of disinformation by Israel which already massacred thousands of children, women and elderly.” Israel’s credibility took a hit this past week after it accused the U.S. news agency The Associated Press (AP) of passing on footage to Al Jazeera who Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government banned form reporting and filming in Israel. The AP’s equipment was confiscated and they were temporarily stopped from carrying live feed of Gaza. AP slammed Israel’s actions, calling it censorship and demanding their right to report on Gaza. Retired army general and Israeli parliament member Benny Gantz slammed Netanyahu’s move, calling out the Israeli government, saying “This is the Associated Press, not Al Jazeera.” The actions are based on the passage of a new law that took effect on April 30, known as the foreign broadcast law that gives the Israeli government the right to confiscate or otherwise ban any foreign news agency, it deems of reporting ‘false’ news.
Altun highlighted that Turkiye is trying to combat a plethora of disinformation on the Gaza war so that people can learn the truth. As Altun commented: “We see hope is alive in protests of student against Israel at universities in the West, in recognition of a Palestinian state by Western countries.” He added: “In a media and political order dominated by disinformation, there is discrimination and hate speech.”Turkiye along with South Africa had presented evidence of what both countries labeled “genocide” in Israel and presented video and other documentation to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on atrocities committed by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) in Gaza. In addition, to blocking humanitarian aid on all sides, according to the heads of aid agencies and aid workers. According to UNRWA chief Phillipe Lazzarini, other officials and eyewitnesses, the IDF deliberately targeted aid workers, journalists and civilians under the guise of “destroying Hamas.”
Photo : AA
