Thousands took to the streets of Istanbul on New Year’s Day, raising Palestinian and Turkish flags as they rallied on Thursday to demand an end to Israeli violence in Gaza, according to AFP.
Istanbul’s Gaza Rally
Demonstrators marched to Istanbul’s Galata Bridge amid the freezing air beneath cloudless skies, rallying under the slogan: “We won’t remain silent, we won’t forget Palestine.”
Over 400 civil society groups participated in the rally, organized in part by Bilal Erdogan, the youngest son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“We are praying that 2026 will bring goodness for our entire nation and for the oppressed Palestinians,” said Erdogan.
Approximately 500,000 people also joined the march, which featured speeches and a performance by Lebanese-born singer Maher Zain of his anthem ‘Free Palestine.’
Israel & Turkey Tensions
Tensions between Israel and Turkey have been rising since the outbreak of the Gaza War in October 2023 with Erdogan accusing Israel of committing a genocide in Gaza.
In August, Turkey decided to sever all commercial and economic ties with Israel and close its airspace to Israeli government planes over Gaza War.
“We have completely cut off our trade with Israel. We have closed our ports to Israeli ships,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told a special parliamentary debate on Gaza in Ankara.
No Turkish Presence in Gaza
In response, Israel said that there would not be any involvement for Turkish soldiers in Gaza as part of the multinational force set to replace Israeli forces.
Notably, Ankara has revealed its intention to take part in the reconstruction plan of Gaza by joining a “task force” overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire. In this context, Turkey said that its armed forces are willing to participate in either a military or civilian capacity as required.
However, Israel ruled out Turkey from the mission over its “hostile statements” and “diplomatic and economic measures” against Israel.
Related Topics:
Somaliland Gains First Official Recognition from Israel
US, Qatar, Turkey Join Gaza Peace Talks in Egypt
Turkey Inks Deal with Britain to Purchase 20 Eurofighter Jets
