Altun: Israel’s “inhumane actions led to systematic massacres”

The head of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Department, Fahrettin Altun, said on Sunday that “Israel’s inhumane and illegal actions led to systematic massacres.”

In a speech at the “Humanitarian Film Festival” organized by the “TRT World Citizen” platform in Istanbul, the festival “sheds light through the power of art on millions who suffer from pain and despair.”

He stressed that “only societies and groups that fit the Western definition of humanity promise peace and prosperity.”

He pointed out that millions of people have been killed and forced to leave their homes due to wars and violent conflicts at the present time.

He said that data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees until the middle of this year show that nearly 110 million people in the world have been forcibly displaced for various reasons.

Altun stressed that 76 percent of refugees around the world seeking international protection for various reasons are hosted by low- and middle-income countries.

“While developed countries that enjoy higher levels of prosperity constantly avoid taking responsibility for the aforementioned crisis,” the head of the Communications Department added.

According to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), according to Altun, the number of homeless people in the United States alone is about 600,000 people.

He pointed out that children are forced to carry weapons and are recruited into the ranks of terrorist organizations such as the PKK/YPG and ISIS and taken to the battle fronts. Likewise, children are forced to work in major companies for the sake of achieving more profits. “They represent another tragedy that reveals the situation.” current humanity in the world.

– Not the “Palestinian problem, but the “Israeli problem”

Altun described what is happening in the Gaza Strip as “one of the most severe humanitarian tragedies taking place at the present time,” highlighting the “inhumane Israeli actions and systematic massacre” against the Palestinians.

He said: “We are now at a stage where we can say to the world that has been calling the ‘Palestinian problem’ for years that its name is the ‘Israeli problem’. Not the Middle East and our region, but the entire world is facing this problem.”

He pointed out that some countries had the courage to confront the “Israeli problem,” saying: “As long as the Israeli problem continues to be ignored, this crisis will worsen over time, grow, and constitute a threat to humanity.”

Altun called for the use of art, such as cinematic films, and literature, such as novels, to “convey the message of pain and suffering to the oppressed and persecuted, and not to be satisfied with numbers and statistics prepared by international institutions, despite their importance.”

He pointed to the initiatives made by Turkey in many geographical regions through its humanitarian foreign policy.

He pointed out that these initiatives “will be recorded in history as extremely valuable contributions to establishing peace, justice, stability and security at the regional and international levels.”

Altun highlighted the importance of the hundreds of films submitted from all over the world to participate in the “Humanitarian Film Festival” organized by the “TRT World Citizen” platform, offering his thanks to everyone who contributed to the festival.