Turkish officials condemn Israeli attack on TRT crew in Gaza

The Israeli army targeted a vehicle carrying a news team from Turkish public broadcaster TRT in what it claimed to be a “safe” area of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on Sunday, the channel said.

TRT Arabi reporter Sami Barhoum and his team were targeted in a shooting incident with long-barreled weapons firing at their vehicle. Five bullets hit the car.

While there were no casualties, Barhoum sustained minor injuries.

“While we were on a field mission for the TRT network, we were directly shot at by Israeli forces in the northwest of Khan Younis,” Barhoum said.

“We were on a field mission…(and) this car is for the press. To wear the protective gear and helmet is all that indicates that we are journalists.”

Turkish officials condemn attack

Turkish parliament speaker Numan Kurtulmus condemned the attack, extending his well-wishes to TRT.

Görevi başındaki TRT ekibine karşı işgalci İsrail güçlerinin gerçekleştirdiği alçak saldırıyı lanetliyor, basın mensuplarımıza ve TRT'ye geçmiş olsun dileklerimi iletiyorum.

İşledikleri suçları örtbas etmeye, uluslararası hukukun keseceği cezayı önlemeye çalışan Netanyahu ve…

— Numan Kurtulmuş (@NumanKurtulmus) August 18, 2024

“Whatever (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and his gang may do to cover up their crimes and avoid punishment imposed by international law, they will be held accountable for their actions sooner or later,” he said.

Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz echoed his sentiments.

İsrail güçleri tarafından TRT Arabi’nin Gazze Muhabiri Sami Berhum’a yapılan saldırıyı lanetliyoruz.

Kendisine, TRT ailesine ve basın camiasına geçmiş olsun dileklerimizi iletiyoruz.

Bu saldırılar mazlum Filistin halkına yönelik olarak işlenen ve insanlığın kollektif hafızasına…

— Cevdet Yılmaz (@_cevdetyilmaz) August 18, 2024

“These attacks will not cover up the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the oppressed Palestinian people, which are etched into the collective memory of humanity.”​​​​​​​

Türkiye’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun also slammed the attack on the TRT crew, “who were directly targeted by Israeli snipers while trying to report that even the cemeteries in Gaza have no space left.”

Gazze’de mezarlıklarda bile yer kalmadığını haberleştirmeye çalışırken görevi başında İsrail keskin nişancılarının doğrudan hedef aldığı TRT ekibine yönelik saldırıyı lanetliyorum.

İsrail, soykırım suçlarının yanı sıra Gazze’den dünyaya “iletişim koridoru” açan TRT’ye ve diğer…

— Fahrettin Altun (@fahrettinaltun) August 18, 2024

Tel Aviv will be held accountable not only for its genocide crimes but also for its attacks and massacres against TRT and other journalists, Altun said.

Several other Turkish officials joined in condemning the attack, including Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc, Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Isikhan, National Education Minister Yusuf Tekin and Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.