Türkiye's national broadcaster, the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), has hosted a Ramadan event dedicated to Palestine and the ongoing struggles faced by the Palestinian people amid Israeli aggression.
During the "A Night of Palestine in Ramadan" event held at TRT Ulus Campus in Istanbul, TRT's Director-General, Mehmet Zahid Sobaci, expressed poignant sentiments on Friday. He said, "Sooner or later, Israel will realise that its existence cannot be sustained through the bloodshed of innocent children."
"As we observe Ramadan, our hearts go out to our Palestinian brothers and sisters enduring immense suffering," Sobaci said. "Today, we stand in solidarity with those in Gaza, Rafah, and the West Bank, reaffirming that they are not alone in their struggle.
"Sobaci also criticised the biased narratives often propagated by Western media. "Despite Western media's distorted portrayals, we remain steadfast in revealing the complete truth. Israel's attempts to conceal its actions cannot hide the atrocities unfolding before the world. The genocide they seek to hide is glaringly evident."
"This situation underscores the moral and ethical shortcomings within Western societies, which profess to uphold universal human values but often fall short in practice," he added.
"We have witnessed how the concept of freedom of expression is sometimes misused in the West. True freedom of expression transcends cultural boundaries and should be universally championed," Sobaci said
'Destruction exceeding 70 percent of Gaza'
Addressing the event organized by TRT, Palestine’s Ambassador to Türkiye, Dr. Faed Mustafa, reiterated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's motto "The world is bigger than five" and said, "The current international system did not save Palestinians and did not achieve justice."
“This oppression is going to end when Palestinians are able to create an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” the ambassador added.
"We are talking about destruction exceeding 70 percent of the land in Gaza. Destruction affected everything in Gaza, including hospitals, universities, schools, mosques, and churches. They left nothing in Gaza," said Mustafa.
"It's true that us Palestinians have been facing a very difficult six months. However, the oppression did not start on the 7th of October."
During the event, five documentaries were screened, featuring titles such as "Digital Occupation," "Zionism: Manufacturing A State," "Rafah: An Unsafe Haven," "The Sole Survivor," and "Witness." Additionally, video trailers for the upcoming documentaries were also showcased.
The documentaries shed light on different aspects of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Deadly military offensive
Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on Gaza since an October 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas.
Nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and more than 74,000 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.
The Israeli war has pushed 85 percent of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
