Journalists gathered outside Israel's consulate in İstanbul today to protest its ongoing attacks against media professionals in Gaza, including its reported use of starvation as a tactic targeting Palestinian reporters.
The demonstration was organized by the Turkish Journalists' Association (TGC), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), and DİSK Press Workers Union (Basın İş). Participants condemned Israel's violations of press freedom and human rights in Gaza.
Police enforced strict security measures at the protest, sealing off the consulate building.
Participants carried Palestinian flags and placards reading, “Stop killing journalists in Gaza,” “Starvation is a weapon, silence is complicity,” and “Targeting journalists is a crime against humanity.” They chanted slogans such as “Free Palestine from the river to the sea” and “Long live our solidarity with Palestine.”
Members of both national and international media observed the protest.
'All institutions must take a clear stance'
Speaking at the protest, RSF Turkey Representative and bianet Media Monitoring Reporter Erol Önderoğlu condemned Israel’s actions, stating, “We denounce the killing of 225 journalists by the Israeli state in violation of international humanitarian law and the laws of war.”
He described a shared sense of outrage, noting that the world is watching as civilians are bombed and media professionals are deliberately targeted. “We are here to express this shared shame,” he said.
"We protest the silence of the international community in the face of Israel targeting colleagues who are reporting at great personal risk.
"We call on all diplomatic and political institutions to stop turning their backs on fundamental human rights, to enforce international law, take a clear stance against Israel, and impose deterrent sanctions.”
He also urged Israel to immediately allow international media access to Gaza and to be held accountable for the journalists killed or starved. “We expect colleagues working in neighboring countries to raise their voices in solidarity. Our colleagues in Palestine are not alone,” he added.
'Starvation is being used as a weapon'
TGS Chair Gökhan Durmuş followed with a speech, reading a letter from European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) President Maja Sever to European heads of state.
Addressing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Durmuş said, “What is happening in Gaza today constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity. Starvation is being used as a weapon.”
He stressed that journalists are the only witnesses to the suffering in Gaza and are risking their lives daily under blockade and a ban on foreign reporters. “Now, they are also being silenced by hunger,” he said.
“Journalists in Gaza are physically breaking down. They are starving, losing consciousness and strength—and with it, their ability to report,” Durmuş added.
Citing International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) data, he noted that at least 187 journalists and media workers have been killed since the start of the war. “Their deaths send a dangerous message: that the truth must not be heard.”
Durmuş accused Israel of suppressing freedom of expression and the public’s right to information by denying access to foreign reporters and using hunger to silence journalists. “We call on the European Commission, of which Turkey is a founding member, to take a clear stance on the ongoing genocide in Gaza, to stop hiding behind neutral language, and to take concrete action.
"The European Commission must strongly uphold international law and human rights. As truth is being silenced through hunger, it is our duty to speak louder. The Commission’s silence is a moral and political disgrace.”
'We salute their courage'
DİSK Basın İş Chair Turgut Dedeoğlu recalled Israel’s raid in international waters on the aid ship Hanzala, which was carrying humanitarian supplies to Gaza.
He noted that Tunisian journalist and unionist Hatem Aouini, who was on board, remains in detention and demanded his immediate release. He also called for the aid to be delivered to the people of Gaza.
Dedeoğlu reminded the crowd of a criminal complaint filed in February 2024 regarding Israel’s alleged war crimes against journalists in Gaza. “We’re still waiting for a case to be opened. We haven’t received any updates, and we remain committed to following this case,” he said.
“Journalists in Gaza are no longer being killed just with bullets and bombs,” Dedeoğlu added. “We are now witnessing colleagues who can no longer report because of starvation. Hunger is robbing them of the strength to carry on. We salute our colleagues in Gaza who continue to pursue their work with dignity under these conditions.” (SÖ/HA/VK)
