The massive crowd, gathered in and around Beyazıt Square, marched along the Ordu Street toward the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque. Throughout the march, slogans such as “Killer Israel, Collaborator USA”, “The Palestinian People Are Not Alone”, “Send Turkish Troops to Gaza”, and “Free Palestine from the River to the Sea” were chanted, accompanied by takbirs (chants of “Allahu Akbar”). Participants also carried placards with messages of support for Gaza.
In front of Hagia Sophia, the closure of the program began with a recitation of the Quran. Afterwards, IHH President Av. Bülent Yıldırım addressed the crowd, stating that the occupying Israeli forces had violated the ceasefire agreement and continued their massacres. He declared, “The only thing Israel understands is force. Today is our day of anger. We are so furious that from now on, our numbers will increase—we will fill the squares and raise awareness. There will be a global movement for independence. Zionism will be defeated in America, in Europe, in Turkey, and all over the world. You will see, the people will rise up everywhere. We will continue to march and tell Israel that we are coming. Just as we came with the Mavi Marmara, just as we came with our land convoys before, we will come again. But this time, with God’s permission, Israel, that time will be your end.”
“Come to the Squares!”
Yıldırım emphasized that the world has abandoned Palestine and said, “The Turkish state has banned exports to Israel. But some merchants find loopholes and continue to sell goods to Israel despite the ban. I am addressing these merchants—have you no shame? The Islamic world must close all airspace to Israel and cut all relations. The Islamic world cannot live comfortably while children and women are being killed. Come to the squares and let Israel see this crowd. These gatherings are what the families in Palestine have asked for. They said if you gather in the streets, the US and Israel would notice and at least drop fewer bombs.”
“Increase Aid!”
Yıldırım also announced that protests would continue every week in different parts of Istanbul. “America is panicking,” he said, “They say that if they can stop Turkey and Syria, Israel can live in peace. But we say as long as these atrocities continue, neither Turkey nor Syria will stop. With God’s help, the entire Islamic world will take action. We will go to Gaza—there are new surprises that we won’t announce yet, but you’ll see, the whole world will rise. Trust us. I am asking you to increase your aid. This is a war between good and evil. As warriors of goodness, we are part of this struggle. While they are resisting there, we must give them what they ask of us—fill the squares and continue the aid.”
IHH Distributes 180,000 Meals Daily in Gaza
Yıldırım stated that the IHH distributes meals to 180,000 people daily in Gaza. “You provide the aid, and we will deliver it to Gaza. Israel has completely closed its gates to the aid we struggle to deliver. Now they’re also blocking flour deliveries, forcing people into starvation. The aid we deliver is just a drop in the bucket. We ask you to increase these drops. We’ve been active in Gaza since day one. Some of our team members have been martyred, and about 300 of the orphans we supported have been martyred as well. These oppressors martyred orphans! We call on everyone to rebel against this oppression!” He said.
“Marches to Israel’s Borders Are Being Planned”
Yıldırım noted that they are in contact with various groups in Israel’s neighboring countries. “If the attacks continue, there will be marches toward Israel’s borders from these countries. Will Israel bomb them? Then that would mean it is confronting those countries. Right now, we are one of the few nations trying to do something. But we expect more from everyone. Netanyahu recently said, ‘The borders in the Middle East will change.’ He was right—they will change. Because Israel will cease to exist, with God’s permission,” he declared.
“We Will Never Accept Normalization with Israel”
Following Yıldırım, Mohammad Al-Hajj, member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars said, “Today, the Palestinian people are showing the whole world what resistance and sacrifice mean. They are giving their lives, wealth, and children for the Al-Aqsa Mosque. We tell the entire humanity, especially the Arab world, that we will never accept normalization with Israel. The whole world is watching the massacres live. These massacres are being carried out entirely with the support of America and the evil axis. This evil axis will be defeated in the face of Islamic unity. Just as we have gathered here today, God willing, one day we will gather in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque. We have duties to support the Palestinian resistance. The Zionist murderers are not only targeting Gaza but the entire Muslim nation. Therefore, we must mobilize all we can, to the best of our ability.”
Demonstrations Held in Many Cities Across Türkiye
During the demonstration, other speakers included Cemal Çınar from the Lovers of the Prophet and Free Jerusalem Platform, Ferhat Çalışye, President of the Kevser Foundation, Abdulkadir Kızılboğa from the Human and Civilization Movement, and Samet Paçacı, President of the YediHilal Association.
The demonstration concluded with prayers for Gaza. Simultaneously, demonstrations for Gaza were held with tens of thousands of participants in Ankara and many other cities across Türkiye.
