ISTANBUL

The hundreds of thousands who gathered on Istanbul’s Galata Bridge on Thursday took a historic stand in solidarity with Palestine, pledging to continue their struggle until Gaza, Jerusalem, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque are free, said a Turkish civic leader at the massive event.

“Together with hundreds of thousands on Galata Bridge, we are writing this into history: we will not cower, we will not keep quiet, and we will not forget Palestine or allow it to be forgotten,” said Bilal Erdogan, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ilim Yayma Foundation, a group that promotes education and scholarly research.

Quoting the late Bosnian leader Alija Izetbegovic, he added: “A forgotten genocide is doomed to be repeated.”

The demonstration, organized by the Humanity Alliance and the National Will Platform under the slogan “We won't cower, we won't keep quiet, we won't forget Palestine,” brought together more than 400 civil society groups. Participants gathered on the first morning of the new year to call for an end to the killings in Palestine.

Addressing the crowd, Erdogan offered prayers for those killed and voiced solidarity with Palestinians.

“Mercy upon our martyrs. May the new year bring peace to our nation, to all Muslims, to Palestine, and to humanity,” he said, praying for grieving mothers and for leaders working for the country, particularly President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

‘What is happening in Gaza is genocide’

Erdogan said the situation in Gaza is not a war or a clash between two armies, but a turning point that has exposed the moral collapse of the global order and international institutions.

“What is happening in Gaza is a genocide in which a people — women, children, and the elderly — are being deliberately and systematically destroyed,” he said, stressing that destruction is being carried out not only through bombs but also through starvation, deprivation, winter conditions, and the deliberate obstruction of humanitarian aid.

He sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying: “May our Lord, with His name Al-Qahhar, bring devastation upon the bandit Netanyahu who stands at the head of this depraved mindset.”

‘For Israel, Palestinians are sadly not considered human’

Emphasizing that even war has rules, Erdogan said Israel has completely disregarded international law, including the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit targeting civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure.

“These are not isolated acts,” he said. “They are the result of centralized decisions sustained with strong internal support. This is not a conflict; it is a policy of annihilation carried out with state power. Sadly, for Israel, Palestinians are not considered human.”

Erdogan said collective punishment, the destruction of living spaces, and the weaponization of hunger recall the darkest chapters of history, describing Zionism in its current form as “Israeli Nazism.”

He added that responsibility under international law also lies with those who fail to prevent such crimes. “Gaza has been reduced to rubble. Those who destroy must rebuild,” he said, calling for Israel to pay war reparations and compensation for war crimes.

Erdogan also said similar policies continue in the West Bank through escalating settler violence, stressing that Gaza and the West Bank are part of the same system of impunity.

“We will not pause our struggle until the occupation ends, Palestinians secure their right to life and freedom, and the territorial integrity of the Palestinian state is recognized,” he said.

‘Boycotting is our moral responsibility’

Calling the Turkish flag a symbol of justice and responsibility, Erdogan urged individual action through boycotts. “Oppression does not continue only with weapons; it continues through financial flows,” he said, adding that boycotts are a clear declaration of refusing complicity.

He said those gathered on Galata Bridge had chosen to stand with humanity’s conscience. In his closing remarks, Erdogan recited verses from Arif Nihat Asya’s poem Bayrak, saying the Turkish nation strives to be “the dove of peace,” but will stand firmly against injustice when necessary.

“We want to remind the whole world of this once again,” he said.

An Oct. 10 ceasefire deal halted Israel’s two-year war that killed over 71,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, injured more than 171,200 others since October 2023 and left the enclave in ruins. But despite the ceasefire, Israel’s deadly attacks on Gaza continue.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, since the ceasefire at least 414 people have been killed and over 1,100 others injured.