ANKARA

Türkiye's Communications Directorate has published Murdering the Truth – Israel’s Campaign Against Journalism, a book that documents the humanitarian and historical dimensions of what has unfolded in Gaza.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Communications Directorate, the book—available in versions in Turkish, English, and Arabic—addresses the systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza, particularly after October 2023, within the framework of historical record and the responsibility to bear witness.

The book, with a foreword written by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, details Israel’s targeting of journalists in Gaza, deliberate destruction of communication infrastructure, and efforts to silence voices that reveal the truth, all supported by comprehensive documentation and testimonies.

The book recounts the bombing of journalists' homes and the targeting of their families, as well as the life stories of 283 journalists, 37 of whom were women, who were killed by Israel while carrying out their duties with bulletproof vests and cameras.

‘Israel is targeting journalists who seek to uncover the truth’

In the foreword, President Erdogan stated that human history has always witnessed conflicts and wars, and that information about these crises, described as turning points in history, has reached the present day because they were recorded.

Emphasizing that documenting history is just as important as making it, Erdogan noted that in a time when successive events may change the course of the world, press workers who reveal and record what is happening not only contribute to today's accurate understanding but also play an important role in conveying these events to the future.

“Ensuring that press members, who work tirelessly to preserve historical knowledge and to convey truths to the public accurately, are able to carry out their duties safely, especially in conflict and war zones, is one of the most important responsibilities of states,” said Erdogan.

Erdogan stressed that where states fail to uphold this responsibility, it becomes impossible for the truth to be shared and known.

The international response to Israel’s genocide in Gaza since Oct. 2023 is itself proof of the reality we are trying to highlight, Erdogan said, adding: “What Israel seeks is not only to kill a people, primarily women and children, through occupation and collective punishment, but also to act as if these massacres never occurred and to convince the international community that what it is doing in Gaza is normal. To achieve this, Israel is targeting journalists who are trying to uncover the truth behind the narrative it has constructed.”

Erdogan said that Israel, ignoring all norms of war and humanitarian law, even strikes journalists’ homes and families to punish those trying to report the truth, leaving journalists in Gaza without not only press freedom but even the basic right to live.

“I salute with respect the unwavering struggle of the journalists brutally murdered by Israel. We will continue to work to ensure that the truths these journalists, who have already secured a significant place in the history of journalism with their courage, sought to reveal at the cost of their lives reach a wider audience,” he said.