On 20 April 2025, hundreds of thousands marched against the genocide perpetrated by the apartheid regime of Israel in Palestine, chanting slogans like "Killer Israel, get out of Palestine" and "A thousand greetings to the resistance from Istanbul to Gaza." The march started from the Fıstıkağacı Metro Station and ended at the Üsküdar Square. After the march, Imam Doğan Temiz of the Üsküdar Valide-i Cedid Mosque recited verses from the Quran. Following the recitation, Ahmet Göksun, Deputy President of the IHH, Bünyamin Çevik from the Safa Foundation, writer Abdullah Sevim, and Fatih Aktı, Istanbul Provincial Representative of the Seven Crescent Association, gave speeches. Singer Ömer Karaoğlu also performed songs during the program.
"Put an end to this genocide and brutality"
Ahmet Göksun began his speech by stating that "For a year and a half, evil Israel has been sending a message to the whole world through a handful of people. This message is not only for Muslims; these megalomaniac leaders are sending a message to the entire world, and for this reason, we gathered today in various squares around the world with all the people of conscience and we shout: Put an end to this barbarism, genocide, and cruelty."
"Killer Israel and the US must be stopped"
Göksun continued, "Unfortunately, there are cowards and collaborators in the Islamic world today. One day, all of them will pay for their actions. To the cowards we say, ”Don’t you have the courage of the children who stood in front of tanks in Gaza?"
Addressing the Jewish community, Göksun stated, "If this oppression is not stopped, the curse of the children in Gaza will burn the whole world. If we don’t want that to happen, we need to put an end to killer Israel and its collaborator the US. Netanyahu is a great enemy of the Jews. The genocide he commits in Palestine is creating significant anti-Semitism in the world. Therefore, we also call out to the Jewish communities: Stand up and cleanse yourselves off the filth within you."
"Their bombs will run out"
Abdullah Sevim, who spoke after Göksun, said, "What we need to do as the Islamic world is primarily to establish an Islamic unity and to fight against these oppressors. God's help will come. The meetings we hold with tears today will be held with smiles in the future. Their bombs will run out."
"They taught us to be patient"
Bünyamin Çevik said, "We have gathered here not only to relieve our conscience but also to show our brothers that we are with them. While our brothers fight with all their might there, they have taught us some things, patience being one of them. And with their patience, they have shown us how to endure the test that Allah has put in our lives."
Finally, Fatih Aktı stated, "We believe that we will go back to Jerusalem from here and perform our prayers there. It is near the days when we will embrace our Muslim brothers, pray, and then go on our Umrah and Hajj."
The march concluded with a prayer led by Imam Fatih Kılıçoğlu from the Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque.
