Thousands of people gathered in Istanbul on Thursday for a New Year rally in support of Gaza, carrying Palestinian and Turkish flags and calling for an end to violence in the war-torn region.
Demonstrators gathered, despite cold temperatures and clear skies, to march towards the Galata Bridge, where a central rally was held under the slogan: “We will not be silent, we will not forget Palestine,” an AFP reporter from the scene said.
More than 400 civil society organizations participated in the meeting, and one of the organizers was Bilal Erdogan, the youngest son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Thousands gather at Istanbul’s Galata Bridge on New Year’s Day to march in support of Palestine
Demonstration organized by Humanity Alliance and National Will Platform with participation of around 400 civil society groups
Protesters rally under the slogan ‘We won’t… pic.twitter.com/QPBXiUchc0
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) January 1, 2026
According to police sources and the state-run Anadolu news agency, about 500,000 people joined the march, which featured speeches and a musical performance by Lebanese-born singer Maher Zain, who performed the song “Free Palestine.”
– We pray that the year 2026 will bring benefits to our entire people and the oppressed Palestinians – said Bilal Erdogan, chairman of the board of directors of the Ilim Yayma Foundation, an educational organization that was one of the organizers of the meeting.
Turkey is among the most vocal critics of the war in Gaza and participated in brokering the recent ceasefire that temporarily halted Israel’s brutal offensive on Gaza.
However, the fragile ceasefire reached on October 10 has not completely stopped the violence, and more than 400 Palestinians have been killed since it took effect.
(Vijesti.ba)
