Hundreds of thousands march in Istanbul in solidarity with Gaza
Galata Bridge becomes ground zero for one of Türkiye’s biggest Gaza protests as 2026 begins.
ateeq.r
ISTANBUL — Hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets of Istanbul on New Year’s Day, turning the historic Galata Bridge into a wave of Turkish and Palestinian flags in one of the largest pro-Palestine protests Türkiye has seen in years.
The rally was organised by more than 400 civil society groups under slogans such as “We won’t remain silent, we won’t forget Palestine.” Participants gathered early in the morning after dawn prayers at major mosques, including Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet, Fatih, Suleymaniye and Eminonu New Mosque, before marching toward the bridge in freezing winter weather, according to Anadolu Ajansı.
Police and Anadolu Agency officials estimated that between 500,000 and 520,000 people took part in the march, a figure also reported by AFP and Hürriyet Daily News.
Speakers at the rally focused on the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, condemning continued violence despite a fragile ceasefire reached in October 2025, according to A News. Many speakers said the ceasefire had failed to bring real relief to civilians.
The crowd cheered as Lebanese-Swedish singer Maher Zain performed Free Palestine. Organisers and political figures urged the international community to increase pressure on Israel, accusing it of ongoing attacks and what demonstrators described as violence and “genocide” against Palestinians, Anadolu Ajansı reported.
Al Jazeera correspondent Sinem Köseoğlu said the protest brought together people from across the political spectrum, including supporters of both the ruling AK Party and opposition groups. “People here do not believe in the ceasefire,” she reported, adding that many saw it as temporary and ineffective.
The rally also drew support from Turkey’s sports community, with representatives from major football clubs encouraging fans to attend, helping boost turnout beyond regular activist groups, Anadolu Ajansı said.
One of the event’s co-organisers, Bilal Erdogan, chair of the Ilim Yayma Foundation, described the march as both a prayer for the new year and a message of unity with Palestinians. “We are praying that 2026 will bring goodness for our nation and for the oppressed Palestinians,” he said, according to A News.
Analysts say the size of the rally reflects growing public anger over the human cost of the Gaza conflict and strong solidarity with Palestinians as global attention remains focused on the crisis.
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