No Saudi ban on Turks for Hajj: Turkish Communications Directorate

There is no truth to claims that the Saudi crown prince will prohibit Turkish citizens from doing their Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, said the Turkish Communications Directorate on Monday.

In its latest bulletin, the directorate's Center for Combatting Disinformation debunked claims linked to a postponed Turkish football match, originally scheduled to be played in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, on Friday.

"The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) proposed and prepared an offer to provide additional income to Fenerbahce and Galatasaray clubs for the Super Cup final. The presidents of the two clubs granted verbal authorization to the TFF for the cup final in August 2023," said the bulletin.

"The decision to play the 2023 Turkcell Super Cup match in Saudi Arabia, which made the best bid, was entirely determined and organized by the clubs and the TFF through a joint decision. Before the event, an agreement was reached between the TFF and Saudi officials on Oct. 20, 2023 regarding the protocols to be followed on the field and in the stands."

The bulletin said that after the joint decision, the match was set to be played on Dec. 29, and the contract explicitly mentioned that the rules of FIFA, AFC, UEFA, and other international football regulatory and governing bodies would apply.

"Despite the match not being a national game, the TFF and Saudi officials agreed on the playing the Turkish National Anthem and using Turkish flags due to the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye. The clubs requested the addition of the agreement made between TFF and Saudi officials, stating that, just before the match, teams would warm up on the field wearing Mustafa Kemal Ataturk T-shirts and carrying banners with the words of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk," it said, referring to the founding father of the Turkish Republic.

According to the report, the Saudi officials did not agree to add these pre-match requests to the existing protocol, citing international regulations and arrangements based on the previous agreement with the TFF.

"As a result of these developments, the issue gained attention in the Turkish public on social media, and disinformation was spread on this matter," it added.

On the false claims of "Turkish citizens being banned from the Hajj" the directorate said: "There is no official statement or decision from either country that could prevent Turkish citizens from going to Saudi Arabia to fulfill their Hajj duties."

IMAGES OF ALLEGED 'CAPTURED HAMAS MEMBERS'

The report also debunked images recorded by an Israeli journalist posted on Israel's social media accounts with the caption "captured Hamas members."

"When we examine the images, it is clearly visible that among those detained with inhumane treatment, there are elderly individuals, children, and women. It has been determined that occupiers gathered disabled individuals in wheelchairs and even babies into the area. Inhumane treatment is applied to civilians who survived Israeli massacres and sought refuge in schools, hospitals, and refugee camps, and the scenes are recorded.

"The images are disseminated through official channels and propaganda accounts on social media, claiming that these are 'Hamas members.' However, among those captured in the images shared so far, healthcare workers, journalists, members of civil society organizations, as well as children, women, and the elderly have been identified," it said.

It also said the claim in some media outlets that the Horn of Africa-based terrorist group Al-Shabaab "seized a light armored vehicle sent by Türkiye to the Somali army" was also incorrect. It said the armored vehicle in the news is the Storm armored personnel carrier produced by Qatari firm Stark Motors.

"In 2019, Qatar donated 68 Storm armored personnel carriers to the Mogadishu (Somali) government for use in the fight against Al-Shabaab and other terrorist organizations," it added.