520.000 Istanbulites meet for Gaza in the first day of 2026. The meeting was held in -1 °C temperature.
This morning, Istanbul showed the entire world once again that it is the voice of Gaza. The program, organized with the slogan “We Are Not Silent, We Do Not Cringe, We Do Not Forget Palestine,” began with morning prayers at the Sultan Ahmed, Hagia Sophia, New Mosque (Yeni Camii), and Süleymaniye Mosques. The march, which started at 08:30 after the prayers, concluded at Galata Bridge with the participation of 520,000 people and the slogan “Mercy for Our Martyrs, Support for Palestine.”
Since October 7, 2023, Zionist Israel has massacred over 70,000 Palestinians in its attacks on Gaza. While the entire world ignores the humanitarian drama in Gaza—where the bloodiest genocide of the 21st century is taking place—Turkey continues to stand by its Palestinian brothers and sisters.
A total of 520,000 people participated in the organization held today at Galata Bridge, coordinated by more than 400 non-governmental organizations under the umbrella of the National Will Platform.
January 1, 2025 morning, Istanbul. The march, which set out with the slogan “We do not cringe, we are not silent, we do not forget Palestine!”, began with morning prayers at nearby mosques. After the prayers, groups moved from the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Hagia Sophia Mosque, New Mosque, and Süleymaniye Mosque. Groups also joined the march from Fatih and Taksim Mosques. The march concluded at Galata Bridge.
A Message from Gazans
The President of the Turkey Youth Foundation (TÜGVA), İbrahim Beşinci, called for the great march for Gaza with a striking video shared on the social media platform X.
“This is not an advertisement! It is the call of the Palestinian people to Turkey… #DoNotForgetGaza” — İbrahim Beşinci (@ibrahim_besinci), December 28, 2025.
The video, which begins with the emphasis “This is not an advertisement,” drew attention as a rising call of humanity from the Palestinian people to Turkey. The shared footage includes interviews with civilians trying to survive in the middle of the war in Gaza. Gazans explain that after months of bombardment, they have lost their homes, their children, and their hopes.
BİLAL ERDOĞAN: INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE GONE BANKRUPT REGARDING GAZA
Bilal Erdoğan, President of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for the Diffusion of Knowledge (İlim Yayma Vakfı), spoke at the “We do not cringe, we are not silent, we do not forget Palestine” rally organized to stop the massacre in Palestine. Erdoğan stated, “In Palestine, they are deprived of all kinds of means under winter conditions. Genocide is being carried out through hunger and thirst. International institutions have gone bankrupt regarding Gaza.”
Stating that “The West has fallen into humiliation regarding Gaza,” Erdoğan made the following declaration: “We are here as an alliance of humanity for Gaza. Our issue is with the Zionist ideology. Zionism manifests itself today as Israeli Nazism. The cost of this destruction cannot be burdened upon the people of Gaza or third-party countries.”
