Thousands of people in Turkey have taken to the streets to express their solidarity with the Palestinians and their anger at Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza, which have killed thousands of civilians.
The protests, which started on Tuesday after a hospital in Gaza was bombed, have spread to more than 20 cities across Turkey, including Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Adana, Malatya, and Diyarbakir. The demonstrators waved Palestinian flags, burned Israeli flags and effigies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and chanted slogans such as “Free Palestine”, “Down with Israel” and “Murderer Israel, get out of Palestine”.
The Turkish government has strongly condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and declared three days of mourning for the victims of the hospital bombing. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of committing “genocide” against the Palestinians and called for an international intervention to stop the bloodshed. He also said that Turkey would continue to support the Palestinian cause and send humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The protests in Turkey are part of a global wave of demonstrations in support of Palestine that have taken place in several countries around the world. The protesters have called for an end to the Israeli bombing of Gaza and a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.