Turkish Communications Directorate exposes over 100 fake news stories about Israel's attacks on Gaza

By Omer Faruk Cebeci, Ugur Subasi and Sahin Oktay

SAKARYA, Türkiye (AA) - Türkiye’s Communications Directorate has exposed over 100 fake news stories about Israel's attacks on Gaza, its director said Monday.

"As a result of the ongoing efforts of our Center for Combating Disinformation since Oct. 7, we have exposed over 100 intentional false news stories regarding Israel's attacks on Gaza and revealed the truth," said Fahrettin Altun at the 3rd International Communication Sciences Symposium in Türkiye's Sakarya province.

The center published five special bulletins on Palestine, Altun said.

"We quickly shared the truth with the global public because speed is one of the most important elements in the fight against disinformation.

"Unfortunately, if you delay (taking action), disinformation tends to replace and drown out the truth with lies," he added.

Altun said that disinformation on Gaza’s suffering is being irresponsibly produced and disseminated at a very high level, even by officials and presidents.

"Disinformation campaigns intending to cover up the crimes and massacres in Gaza are sought to be turned into a foreign policy tool in the hands of actors with dark plans related to both the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean.”

They know that the problem of disinformation seriously affects the ability of societies, institutions and individuals to access reliable information and make correct decisions, bringing along feelings of hopelessness, uncertainty and chaos, Altun added.

Committing war crimes in Gaza in front of the whole world, Israel "is showing the ugliest, most savage examples of fascism and racist imperialism," he said.

Reminding that millions of people were killed by state officials in concentration camps in Europe in the first half of the 20th century, Altun said “those criminals have not been forgotten, they are cursed to this day. Today's criminals will not be forgotten either. The killers in Gaza will be held accountable."

He added that Israel is concurrently conducting a dirty disinformation campaign alongside openly committing war crimes and massacres.

"Israel is attempting to legitimize and obscure its massacres against Palestinian, Gazan children, women, men, the elderly, journalists and healthcare workers. In short, against the innocent, through systematic disinformation campaigns."

Israel has been carrying out relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip -- including on hospitals, residences and houses of worship -- since the Palestinian group Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Oct. 7.

As the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip entered its 38th day, at least 11,180 Palestinians have been killed, including over 7,700 children and women, and more than 28,200 others have been injured, according to the latest figures by Palestinian authorities.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is nearly 1,200, according to official figures.