Attacks on Turkish journalists covering the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon drew the ire of Ankara.
Fahrettin Altun, head of the Presidency's Directorate of Communications, on Wednesday slammed Israel for targeting journalists covering the war in Gaza and Lebanon, citing recent incidents involving Turkish media personnel.
Altun said journalists face threats not only from Israeli security forces but also from "Israeli occupiers posing as civilians." He highlighted a recent incident where an Israeli civilian harassed a Turkish public broadcaster TRT team during a live broadcast in Tel Aviv, attempting to stop their coverage.
"The fact that Israeli police detained TRT employees, not the provocateur, and started an investigation once again showed that Israel is experiencing total insanity," Altun stated. He vowed that journalists would continue to report from Gaza and Lebanon despite Israel's actions.
The incident in Tel Aviv involved an Israeli citizen telling TRT staff to "go do your work in Türkiye," while pressuring them to end their broadcast. Israel is responsible for the killing of at least 174 journalists since Oct. 7, according to a Palestinian government media office report. Israel launched a devastating military offensive on the Gaza Strip after the Hamas attack and has since killed more than 41,600 people.
