Overview
- Police and the Anadolu agency estimated about 500,000 people gathered at Istanbul’s Galata Bridge under the slogan “We won’t remain silent, we won’t forget Palestine.”
- More than 400 civil society groups rallied under the National Will Platform, with Bilal Erdogan listed as an organizer through the Ilim Yayma Foundation.
- Major football clubs urged supporters to join, and Galatasaray chair Dursun Ozbek framed the mobilization as a moral stand that crossed party lines.
- The event featured speeches and a performance by singer Maher Zain, who sang “Free Palestine” to crowds waving Turkish and Palestinian flags.
- Protesters called for sustained international pressure as reports cited over 400 Palestinian deaths since the October ceasefire, while Turkiye has cut trade with Israel and closed airspace and ports.