A massive pro-Gaza rally in Istanbul drew thousands, with calls to end the violence and a speech by President Erdogan’s son.
ISTANBUL: Thousands of people joined a New Year’s Day rally in support of Gaza in Istanbul on Thursday.
Demonstrators waved Palestinian and Turkish flags while calling for an end to the violence in the war-torn territory.
The crowd gathered in freezing conditions under clear blue skies to march towards the city’s Galata Bridge.
The rally was held under the slogan “We won’t remain silent, we won’t forget Palestine,” according to an AFP reporter.
More than 400 civil society organisations participated in the event.
One of the organisers was Bilal Erdogan, the youngest son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Police sources and the Anadolu state news agency estimated some 500,000 people joined the march.
The event featured speeches and a performance by Lebanese-born singer Maher Zain of his song “Free Palestine”.
“We are praying that 2026 will bring goodness for our entire nation and for the oppressed Palestinians,” said Bilal Erdogan.
He chairs the board of the Ilim Yayma Foundation, an educational charity that helped organise the march.
Turkey has been one of the most vocal critics of the war in Gaza.
The country helped broker a recent ceasefire that halted the deadly conflict.
That war was waged by Israel in response to Hamas’s unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023.
The fragile October 10 ceasefire has not stopped all violence, however.
More than 400 Palestinians have been killed since the truce took hold.
