Thousands of Istanbul residents on Saturday participated in an event organized by IHH, marching from Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque to Eminönü Square with the slogan, "We march with torches for the end of the occupation and the freedom of Palestine."
After the evening prayer, the crowd gathered in front of the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and began walking towards Eminönü Square, carrying torches.
The group held effigies of U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, chanting slogans in Turkish and English to protest Israel's attacks on Gaza. At the end of the march, which saw a large turnout, the Quran was recited, and prayers were offered in Eminönü Square.
Artist Murat Bozkurt performed works dedicated to Palestine. French activist and international law professor Frank Romano, who participated in the march, expressed his happiness at being with the Palestinians and the crowd in Eminönü.
Regarding the fleet heading to Gaza, Romano stated, "I never lost hope that the fleet would set off. We will certainly set off. I did not lose hope because we saw the massacres and the Palestinians' resistance. Rest assured, the Palestinian people know that you are with them."
National athlete and recipient of the Jerusalem Medal, Necmettin Erbakan Akyüz, also declared, "We will always stand against the Zionist lobbies that indirectly serve Israel today, both in our country and all over the world." The event concluded after the speeches.
