Hundreds of thousands march in Istanbul in solidarity with Gaza

In a sweeping show of solidarity with Palestinians, hundreds of thousands of people are marching through Istanbul to protest Israel’s condemnation of the genocide in Gaza and refute claims that a ceasefire has had any lasting impact.

Despite freezing temperatures, protesters gathered on the city’s historic Galata Bridge on Thursday, many of whom waving Palestinian and Turkish flags.

The march, which was organized by civil society organizations in conjunction with Turkish football clubs, was held with the message “We won’t stay silent, we won’t forget Palestine.”

More than 400 organizations from the civil society took part in the rally, which highlights Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza. One of the largest pro-Palestine demonstrations Turkiye has seen since Israel’s war started was led by several major football clubs to call on their supporters to attend.

Dursun Ozbek, the president of Galatasaray Football Club, characterized Israel’s actions as a moral recompense for the world.

In a video message shared on X, Ozbek said, “We will not get used to this silence.” We stand up for humanity by standing up for the rights of oppression.

A “slow-motion genocide”

From the Galata Bridge, Al Jazeera’s Turkiye correspondent Sinem Koseoglu reported that Palestine is still a subject of national consensus. She claimed that the issue involves candidates from major opposition parties, drawing together supporters of the ruling AK Party.

As people crowded the bridge and nearby streets, Koseoglu said, “Today people are trying to show their support on the first day of the new year.”

About 500,000 people participated in the march, according to police sources and the Anadolu state news agency.

Maher Zain, a born in Lebanon, performed “Free Palestine” to a crowd of raised flags during speeches and performances.

Many demonstrators also objected to Israel’s ceasefire plan during the protest.

Koseoglu said, “These people here do not believe in the ceasefire.” They posit that the genocide is being slowed down by the current ceasefire rather than a real ceasefire.

Koseoglu claimed protesters prefer sustained international pressure over symbolic measures, despite the fact that Turkiye has restricted trade with Israel and barred its airspace and ports.

She said, “The main goal here is to show their solidarity with the Palestinian people and prevent the world from forgetting what is happening in Gaza,” adding that many people believe the ceasefire is “very fragile.”

Turkey has established itself as one of Israel’s most vehement critics and assisted in the United States’ effort to implement a ceasefire that was announced in October.