Hundreds of thousands march in Istanbul in solidarity with Gaza

Demonstrators successful Turkiye request planetary unit connected Israel, calling the alleged ceasefire ‘a slow-motion genocide’ against Palestinians.

Hundreds of thousands of radical are marching done Istanbul successful a sweeping amusement of solidarity with Palestinians, condemning Israel’s genocide successful Gaza and rejecting claims that a ceasefire has brought meaningful relief.

Protesters, galore waving Palestinian and Turkish flags, converged connected the city’s historical Galata Bridge connected Thursday contempt freezing temperatures.

The march, organised by civilian nine groups nether the National Will Platform alongside Turkish shot clubs, rallied nether the slogan: “We won’t stay silent, we won’t hide Palestine.”

More than 400 civilian nine organisations joined the mobilisation, underscoring the standard of nationalist choler astatine Israel’s ongoing battle connected Gaza. Several large shot clubs urged their supporters to attend, helping crook the rally into 1 of the largest pro-Palestine demonstrations Turkiye has seen since Israel’s warfare began.

Galatasaray shot nine seat Dursun Ozbek described Israel’s actions arsenic a motivation reckoning for the world.

“We volition not get utilized to this silence,” Ozbek said successful a video connection shared connected X. “Standing enarthrosis to enarthrosis against oppression, we travel unneurotic connected the aforesaid broadside for humanity.”

An aerial presumption of boats carrying Palestinian flags astir Galata Bridge [Muhammed Enes Yildirim/Anadolu via Getty Images]

‘A slow-motion genocide’

Sinem Koseoglu, Al Jazeera’s Turkiye correspondent, reported from the Galata Bridge that Palestine remains a constituent of nationalist consensus. She said the contented cuts crossed governmental lines, uniting supporters of the governing AK Party with voters from large absorption parties.

“Today radical are trying to amusement their enactment connected the precise archetypal time of the caller year,” Koseoglu said, arsenic crowds packed the span and surrounding streets.

Police sources and the Anadolu authorities quality bureau said astir 500,000 radical took portion successful the march.

The rally included speeches and a show by Lebanese-born vocalist Maher Zain, who sang “Free Palestine” to a oversea of raised flags.

For galore demonstrators, the protestation was besides a rejection of Israel’s ceasefire narrative.

“These radical present bash not judge successful the ceasefire,” Koseoglu said. “They judge the existent ceasefire is not a real ceasefire, but a dilatory question of the genocide.”

Thousands of radical person gathered crossed Istanbul to march successful solidarity with Palestinians, calling for an extremity to the genocidal warfare connected Gaza, connected January 1, 2026 [Muhammed Ali Yigit/Anadolu via Getty Images]

Turkiye has chopped commercialized with Israel and closed its airspace and ports, but Koseoglu said protesters privation sustained planetary unit alternatively than symbolic measures.

“The main thought present is to amusement their solidarity with the Palestinian radical and fto the satellite not hide astir what’s going connected successful Gaza,” she said, informing that galore spot the ceasefire arsenic “very fragile”.

Turkiye has positioned itself arsenic 1 of Israel’s sharpest critics and played a relation successful brokering a ceasefire announced successful October by United States President Donald Trump.

Yet the intermission successful warring has failed to halt bloodshed, with much than 400 Palestinians killed by Israel since the ceasefire took effect, and assistance inactive being withheld from entering the besieged Strip.