Thousands March for Palestine in Istanbul
Thousands of people gathered in response to the call of the Palestine Action Committee and marched on the third anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Flood.
Behind the main banner reading “Gaza Has Been Resisting Genocide for Three Years! Freedom for Palestine, Embargo on Israel!”, thousands gathered in organized contingents and marched from the Atatürk Cultural Center in Taksim to Dolmabahçe. Carrying Palestinian flags and placards saluting the resistance, the crowd chanted slogans denouncing Israel’s attacks and expressing support for the resistance.
Readers of Partizan and Yeni Demokrat Gençlik (YDG) formed a contingent behind a banner signed by the Antiimperialist League (AIL) reading “Anti-Imperialists of the World, Unite!” Throughout the march, speeches were delivered denouncing imperialist and Zionist attacks and saluting the struggles of Palestine and other resisting peoples.
The contingent marched with slogans including “Imperialism Will Be Defeated, Resisting Peoples Will Win,” “Freedom for Palestine Will Come Through People’s War,” and “A Thousand Salutes to Those Who Fall and Fight in Palestine,” alongside slogans in Arabic and English.
“THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE CAUGHT THE ZIONISTS OFF GUARD”
At the end of the march, a press statement was delivered in Turkish and Arabic in Dolmabahçe.
Reading the statement, Naz Şakar said that the Al-Aqsa Flood offensive took place at a time when the blockade of Gaza had become unbearable and the expansion of Zionist settlements in the West Bank had accelerated dramatically. She emphasized that, at a time when high-level meetings between Turkey and Zionist Israel were signaling a new normalization process, alongside reports that Saudi Arabia would also move toward normalization, Palestinian resistance organizations caught the Zionists off guard.
Şakar stated that what she described as the legitimate and justified action of the Palestinian resistance organizations was followed by two years of genocide by Zionist Israel, and that by September 2026 the number of Palestinians killed had exceeded 73,000.
She said: “Even in September 2026, widespread destruction, the housing crisis, restrictions on the entry of aid and continuing attacks are creating the potential for a severe humanitarian crisis.”
Stating that the United States and Israel have attacked Palestine and the forces standing alongside it, Şakar continued:
“On paper, the Zionist genocide appears to have ended with a ceasefire. Yet Israel, which was unable to defeat the people of Gaza or destroy the resistance organizations, continues its attacks with ease despite the existence of a so-called ‘peace council’ and observer countries. Around 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in attacks carried out since the ceasefire. Palestinians in Gaza remain under siege. Moreover, settler attacks and the displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank have increased. More than 1,600 settler attacks have been recorded since the beginning of 2026. This number may increase as next month’s Israeli elections approach.”
“WE WILL CONTINUE TO DECLARE THAT THE GOVERNMENT STANDS WITH IMPERIALISM”
Continuing the statement, Şakar said:
“Today, standing with Palestine means leaving NATO. Today, standing with Palestine means shutting down imperialist military bases. Today, standing with Palestine means imposing a complete embargo on Israel.”
The press statement concluded with the following words:
“As the Palestine Action Committee, we once again salute the dignified resistance of the Palestinian people. We will continue to declare that the government in this country stands in practice alongside Israel and imperialism. We will continue to demand the immediate implementation of a complete embargo on Israel. We will continue to demand the immediate closure of all military bases serving imperialism and Zionism.”
