Thousands rally across Türkiye in solidarity with Gaza
ISTANBUL
Demonstrations were held across Türkiye on Sunday in solidarity for Gaza and Global Sumud Flotilla, which set sail to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza before coming under Israeli attack.
In Istanbul, thousands gathered outside the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque for a march organized by the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (İHH) and the Platform to Support Palestine. The demonstrators voiced support for the flotilla of 11 ships carrying 146 participants from 22 countries, which aimed to break the blockade on Gaza.
Carrying Turkish and Palestinian flags, the crowd chanted slogans including “Freedom for Palestine,” “Down with Israel,” and “Long live Gaza’s resistance” as they walked toward Eminönü Square. Some held placards reading “I walk for Gaza’s children, what do you do?” and “Neutrality is not an option in the face of oppression.” Speeches were expected later at Eminönü.
Similar scenes unfolded in Ankara, where thousands, including elderly citizens and children, gathered outside Melike Hatun Mosque under the banner of the Ankara Palestine Solidarity Platform. Waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans, they marched toward Kızılay Square.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, several lawmakers, and Ankara Governor Vasip Şahin joined the march in a show of support. “Humanity dies just one step away,” read one of the banners carried by the crowd.
In the western city of İzmir, dozens of boats adorned with Turkish and Palestinian flags sailed from multiple coastal districts, converging in front of Cumhuriyet Square. The demonstration was organized by the İzmir Civil Society Organizations Platform as part of the nationwide solidarity effort.
Platform President Gökhan Temur called the flotilla “a movement of conscience” and condemned Israel for “once again disregarding international law and human values by attacking a purely civilian initiative.”
“The ships carry no weapons or threats — only milk for children, bread for mothers, and hope for fathers,” Temur said. “We will not be silenced by pressure or fear. Humanitarian aid to Gaza must continue.”
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) İzmir provincial chair Bilal Saygılı stressed the importance of unity among Muslims, saying, “We must remain strong and stand with our brothers and sisters in Gaza. Power is the only language they understand.”
In the northwestern province of Edirne, around 60 boats and small vessels paraded in the Saros Bay near the town of Enez, flying Palestinian flags in support of the flotilla. AKP lawmaker Fatma Aksal described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide,” saying that “the terrorist state of Israel is killing innocent civilians, including women and children, while the world is no longer staying silent.”
Aksal added that some Turkish citizens who were part of the flotilla had returned home after their vessels were seized. “We learned that many, especially women, were treated harshly,” she said. “The Sumud Flotilla is not alone — one day, Palestine will be free.”
In the eastern province of Van, activists also took to the water, sailing boats and canoes across Lake Van to express solidarity with those aboard the flotilla and to call for an end to the blockade on Gaza.
