The Year 2026 Begins with a Major March in Istanbul in Support of Gaza
On the first day of 2026, Istanbul witnessed a massive turnout of people in a march supporting Palestine. This large gathering was organized by the Humanity Alliance and the National Will Platform, with the participation of more than 400 civil society organizations, and approximately 520,000 people assembled on the Galata Bridge.
Citizens gathered before the dawn prayer at the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Sultanahmet Mosque, Fatih Mosque, Süleymaniye Mosque, and Eminönü New Mosque, and after performing the prayer, they marched towards the Galata Bridge. Extensive security measures were taken in the area, and the roads leading to the bridge were closed to traffic. Many participants arrived by boat, carrying Turkish and Palestinian flags. In the middle of the bridge, a large banner reading “Justice for Gaza” in Turkish and English was displayed.
Participants chanted slogans such as “Long Live the Global Intifada,” “Israel the Killer, Get Out of Palestine,” and “We Will Not Be Intimidated, We Will Not Be Silent, We Will Not Forget Palestine.” Children also took part in the event, and the voice of a young girl shouting “Takbir” from a Bağcılar Municipality vehicle was met with the crowd’s response of “Allahu Akbar.”
Numerous political and social figures attended the march, including Abdullah Özdemir, Istanbul Provincial Chairman of the Justice and Development Party (AKP); Bilal Erdoğan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the İlim Yayma Foundation; Abdullah Ceylan, President of the Imam Hatip Association; Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç; Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu; Minister of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Yumaklı; Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak; Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır; Istanbul Governor Davut Gül; AKP Deputy Chairwoman and Head of Social Policies Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya; as well as members of parliament and mayors.
In his speech, Bilal Erdoğan said: “We will not be intimidated, we will not be silent, we will not forget Palestine, and we will not allow it to be forgotten.” He emphasized that what is happening in Gaza is not a war or a military conflict, but a genocide carried out through hunger, thirst, cold, and the prevention of humanitarian aid. He added: “We will not stop our struggle until the occupation in Gaza and the West Bank ends and the territorial integrity of the State of Palestine is recognized.”
Abdullah Ceylan stated: “On the first morning of the new year, together with hundreds of thousands of people, we delivered a great message from the Galata Bridge and made our voices heard by everyone. A massive wave of human conscience has emerged here.”
İbrahim Beşinci, President of the Turkey Youth Foundation (TÜGVA), declared in his speech: “Today, hundreds of thousands are here. A proud and steadfast nation stands against this genocide. The prayers of the oppressed are the legacy of our martyrs. Today, the wall of silence is collapsing.” He also referred to statistics about the attacks on Gaza: “In the past 27 months, 210,000 tons of bombs have been dropped on Gaza, 70,000 civilians have lost their lives, 2,600 families have been completely wiped out, 5,000 families have been reduced to a single person, 45,000 Palestinians have lost limbs, and 12,000 Palestinians have been arrested.”
