Thousands gather in Istanbul’s Yenikapı district to support Palestine

ISTANBUL

Thousands gathered in Istanbul’s Yenikapı fairgrounds on May 18 to show solidarity with Palestinians after Israel’s aggression against Palestinian civilians on the Gaza border. 

The rally was launched under the theme “Condemning Oppression, Supporting al-Quds [Jerusalem].”

A number of huge screen televisions were also set up for the crowd to watch the platform where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other world leaders who were in Istanbul to attend the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit were present.

Turkish and Palestinian flags were distributed to the crowd.

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, and Great Union Party (BBP) leader Mustafa Destici were also among the attendees.

Yıldırım took the floor at the rally, saying the United States President Donald Trump had “taken partnership with Israel’s oppression.”

“The Turkish Red Crescent is undertaking works for the wounded in Gaza to be evacuated, but the Israeli government is not allowing this,” Yıldırım said. Turkey will not “refrain from any sacrifices” to help the “oppressed Palestinians and defend their case,” he added.

Bahçeli also gave a speech during the rally. “A war crime has been committed in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be tried at the International Criminal Court,” he said.

The same call had been done a day before by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. “We are analyzing what kind of legal steps can be taken [against Israel],” he said. 

On May 14, at least 62 Palestinian demonstrators were killed and hundreds more injured by Israeli troops deployed along the other side of the border.

The May 14 demonstration had coincided with Israel’s 70th anniversary and the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Israel to Jerusalem.

Since the Gaza rallies began on March 30, more than 100 Palestinian demonstrators have been killed by cross-border Israeli army gunfire.