By Onur Orhan and Sengul Azbay
SAKARYA, Türkiye (AA) - Serdar Karagoz, president and CEO of Anadolu, said on Friday that Anadolu will continue to inform the world about Israel's "genocide and war crimes" in the most effective way through its books The Witness, The Evidence, and The Perpetrator.
Karagoz was speaking at the Middle East Congress on Politics and Society organized this year with the main theme of "Israel-Palestine Conflict."
The congress was organized at Türkiye's Sakarya University (SAU)'s Culture and Congress Center in cooperation with SAU's Middle East Institute, Spain's Granada University's Institution of Peace and Conflicts, and Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies (FUNDEA).
In his speech, Karagoz stated that the words "genocide, Gaza and Israel" have been appearing side by side since October last year and that the concept of genocide was discussed in different events around the world before.
Noting that genocide and war crimes have definitions within the framework of international law, but that these definitions are applied to some countries and never applied to others, he said: “Despite everything, we continue to keep records of genocides and war crimes as the world goes on."
"These records may not turn into any sanctions before the International Criminal Court today, but one day they will. It may be when the perpetrators of these crimes are gone from this world, or it may be years and years later, but one day the perpetrators of these crimes will be held accountable by law, justice and history,” he added.
Stressing that those working in the field of media have to keep these records, Karagoz referred to journalist Seymour Hersh who played an important role in revealing the My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War.
- 'When you drop a phosphorus bomb on a city, you commit a war crime'
Explaining that Anadolu has been closely following Israel's war crimes in Gaza since October 2023, Karagoz, referring to the phosphorus bombs used by Israel, said: “You have the right to drop a phosphorus bomb on an empty land, provided that you illuminate the land and observe the enemy elements. However, when you drop a phosphorus bomb on a city, as seen here, you are undoubtedly committing a war crime beyond any doubt.”
He stated that Anadolu captured the moment when the phosphorus bombs were loaded on howitzers and that photographs displaying the code of the phosphorus bombs were taken.
"When we present this photograph to the International Criminal Court, even this photograph alone ensures that a country is punished, punished for war crimes," added Karagoz.
- 'We leave a mark by documenting these genocides'
Stressing that Anadolu's book The Evidence compiles the war crimes committed by Israel by focusing on international law and the Rome Statute, and is one of the most fundamental pieces of evidence in the genocide trial in The Hague, Karagoz said: "We are also leaving a mark by fighting against this and documenting these genocides."
Stating that the book Evidence turned into a documentary, he noted: "This documentary shows a reality that is too big to object to."
Karagoz said that in addition to The Evidence, the book Witness was also turned into a documentary, adding that they would show this documentary in many places around the world.
Regarding Anadolu's other book The Perpetrator, Karagoz said: “It will include all those who were involved in these crimes, who were the perpetrators themselves or who had a share in these crimes by supporting them. Israel did not only hit Gaza. It also broke the established international legal order, and the world order."
He stated that Anadolu has been collecting these documents not for today's broken and bankrupt international legal order, but for the just international legal order to be established one day.
Highlighting Anadolu's war journalism training, Karagoz added: “Many of our friends have seen wars, but no one has ever seen such a big, brutal, inhuman war.”
Israel has continued a devastating offensive on Gaza since October last year despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.
More than 42,800 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 100,500 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
*Writing by Serdar Dincel