Instead, it tapped the

at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Turkiye stood firmly for international law and justice – principles that many powerful nations invoke in theory but abandon when inconvenient. Western governments that once vowed “never again” now tiptoe around genocide, paralysed by fear of offending Israel, even as children die beneath collapsing ceilings. This is not mere indifference. It is a betrayal of historic proportions.A key enabler of Western silence and complicity in the genocide in Gaza has been Israel’s intense disinformation campaign. At the direction of President Erdogan, Turkiye’s Directorate of Communications has worked to cut through this noise. The Directorate’s Disinformation Combat Centre has, among other initiatives, launched the innovative The Lies of Israel platform, which counters false narratives in six languages. This was only the first step – clearing space for the truth to emerge and building pressure for meaningful change.

More dangerously, Israel increasingly sees no need to disguise its actions behind misinformation. It exploits the insensitivity of large segments of the international community to the ongoing violence. By referring to Gazans as “children of darkness”, Israeli politicians attempt to legitimise the genocide against them. This effort to normalise inhumanity has been firmly rejected by both the directorate and the Turkish people. Turkiye is challenging not only the distortions of Israel’s propaganda machine but also the deeper decay of global conscience. The directorate’s work is an act of resistance – not just against lies, but against a world order where apathy has become the default response to atrocity.The sophisticated messaging strategy employed by the Directorate of Communications – blending traditional and digital media – has brought the reality of Israel’s disproportionate use of force and the suffering of Palestinian civilians to the attention of the world. It reinforces President Erdogan’sto press Western governments and the broader public to live up to their own professed values.

In coordination with Turkiye’s diplomatic response, the directorate has ensured that social media and other online platforms – where most people now consume news – cannot be turned into accomplices to genocide. It has done so by producing a wide range of cultural materials, including books, films,, and other public events. These gatherings are not merely intended to bear witness; they serve as a reminder of the moral responsibility that falls upon all of us. A prominent example of Turkiye placing truth in the service of justice was the compilation and dissemination of

documenting evidence of Israel’s crimes – an effort that has proven instrumental in supporting the case at the International Court of Justice.

Turkiye holds the conviction that the era of outdated paradigms – those that prioritise the narrow interests of hegemonic powers – has come to an end. A new international order must be built on the foundation of upholding the rights and dignity of all people, especially the powerless. To this end, the Directorate of Communications has amplified the voices of Palestinian victims, particularly children, giving them a platform to speak truth in international forums and to express themselves through cultural initiatives such as the Bulletproof Dreams exhibition in Istanbul.“They would argue that we were ‘anti-Christ’ and that their church was the only sacred and holy way to heaven,” she said.

“Months later, I heard from my brother that they had sold the family’s property and were going to live inside the church after ditching earthly possessions.“We tried to reach them but were blocked by their leader. My husband broke the news to me one morning after a year that they had been found inside the forest and they were dead and buried.”

After their deaths, they were buried in mass graves within the Shakahola Forest where the church was located. Upon discovery, following a tip from the local media, the police launched an operation to cordon off the area so they could exhume the bodies, test for DNA, and return the deceased to their relatives for proper burial.They later arrested the church leader, McKenzie, and charged him with the murder of 191 people, child torture, and “terrorism”. He and several other co-accused remain in police custody, pending sentencing.