Stratcom Summit issues a declaration of intent, denouncing Israel's 'war crimes' in Gaza

The Strategic Communications (Stratcom) Summit, organised by the Turkish Directorate of Communications, issued a declaration of intent on the conclusion day, condemning the Israeli army's massacre in the besieged Palestinian territory and describing it as war crimes.

“The occupation and massacre in Gaza carried out by Israel which commits war crimes, hurts the global conscience, and openly violates international law,” Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on Saturday in a closing speech at the end of the two-day Stratcom Summit in Istanbul.

The declaration also commemorated the journalists who were killed by the Israeli army.

In its declaration of intent, the summit also condemned “all Israeli activities targeting media, thereby preventing access to health information, and polluting the truth with false news,” Altun said.

Altun also highlighted that they will collectively fight against disinformation, misinformation, and all forms of information manipulation in the declaration.

'Strategic communication vision'

“Emphasising the importance of establishing a strategic communication vision that prioritises truth, transparency, accountability, and trust cultivation, we affirm our dedication to overhauling national security and defence mechanisms, crafting adaptable and all-encompassing strategies to strengthen our resilience against diverse forms of hybrid threats,” Altun further said.

“We prioritise the development of robust mechanisms with the goal of identifying vulnerabilities, eliminating them, and increasing resilience at every layer against hybrid threats. As strategic communication stakeholders, we commit to developing a defence shield and model practices against hybrid threats,” he added.

“We consider public communication as a fundamental service area and declare that we prioritise ethical values for a human and citizen-focused common strategy. We express our commitment to utilising the opportunities provided by technology, particularly artificial intelligence, to inform the global public accurately, effectively, and in a timely manner,” he said.

“We also state that we will fight those who use these technological capabilities to distort the truth and generate false and manipulative content,” he further said.

“We value the diversification of dialogue mechanisms and encourage collaborative efforts for the global fight for truth. We commit to contributing to the construction of a more just, peaceful, resilient, and stable international community against wars, conflicts, and threats that affect the world,” he said.

Reactions from the Lebanese and Libyan Ministers

The Lebanese Information Minister and Libyan Communications Minister highlighted the significance of the International Strategic Communication Summit (Stratcom Summit 23) organised by Türkiye's Communications Directorate in Istanbul.

"I would like to express my gratitude to everyone involved in organising this summit in a very professional manner,” Lebanese minister Ziad Al Makary said at the summit's closing.

Al Makary expressed gratitude to Türkiye and the Communications Directorate for hosting the meeting and the hospitality received.

Regarding events in Gaza, he said: "A genocide that we can also describe as genocide, against heritage, culture, and the people."

He noted that media personnel were also affected by Israel's attacks, and noted the loss of many journalists' lives.

Makary underscored the importance of the meeting in terms of recognising the significance of combating "fake news."

"Türkiye is always a country that prioritises standing against oppressors and injustice,” he added.

Libyan minister Walid Ammar Ellafi, thanked the Director of Türkiye’s Communications Directorate Fahrettin Altun and highlighted the summit's importance as a significant event.