“Every year, participation broadens, and today we feel the strength of our shared values as a nation,” he said, adding prayers for Palestinian freedom and for Jerusalem.
Other civic and religious leaders, including Abdullah Ozdemir, chairman of the AK Party Istanbul branch, and Abdullah Ceylan, chairman of the ONDER İmam Hatipliler Association, also took part in the march.
Participants held banners proclaiming “Justice for Palestine, conscience for the world” and regularly chanted slogans condemning Israel’s brutal actions. Volunteers distributed tea, soup and simits along the route.
Police provided heavy security along the route, but organizers described the protest as peaceful and representative of popular support for the Palestinians.
Many participants expressed hope that 2026 would bring justice, peace and an end to suffering in Gaza, calling the mobilization a “powerful message of solidarity” sent from Istanbul to the entire world.
