By Turgut Alp Boyraz
JERUSALEM (AA) - Photographs taken by Anadolu that were filed at the UN's top court as evidence in South Africa's genocide case against Israel will definitely have an impact on the outcome of the lawsuit, Türkiye’s consul general to Palestine said Wednesday.
Anadolu has compiled the photos in a book, titled "Evidence," to be used at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, the "most important case of the century," according to Türkiye's Consul General in Jerusalem Ambassador Ahmet Riza Demirer.
The trial may go down in history as "the case of our century," Demirer said, adding:
"Perhaps there won't be a more significant case in the 21st century. And the ruling will be influenced by the efforts of your colleagues, the work of Anadolu's correspondents, in the field."
Anadolu's Middle East News Director Turgut Alp Boyraz showed Demirer the book, which contains pictures clearly exposing Israel's crimes in Gaza and will serve as crucial evidence.
Demirer stressed that while what is happening in Gaza is clear for all to see, presenting the images as legal evidence to the court and the world will be of crucial importance.
Expressing his appreciation and gratitude to Anadolu, Demirer said: "Hopefully, all that we have experienced, the catastrophe, the massacre in Gaza will not be in vain. There will be a result, a cost, and your colleagues have played a significant role in this."
- Martyrs sacrificed
Underlining the loss that many journalists have suffered while covering the Israeli onslaught in Gaza, the envoy said many had lost their families.
"Although we do not see them all the time and do not know them personally, there are journalists who bring (what is happening in Gaza) to our attention," he said, adding:
"For example, even Anadolu has lost martyrs ... These are the conditions under which these journalists and Anadolu work. "Evidence" is the result of these efforts, these sacrifices."
Demirer called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, stressing that nothing could justify the killing of civilians, including children and women.
He added that Türkiye's goal is to bring these attacks to an end as soon as possible and to alleviate the suffering in Gaza.
Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at least 24,448 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 61,504 others, according to local health authorities.
Around 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.
*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul