Today, in Istanbul, tens of thousands of people demonstrated against the actions of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip and against the violence of the illegal Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) against Turkish soldiers. The demonstration began after morning prayers in the city's mosques. A coalition of more than 300 organizations demanded it. Among them was a foundation to which Bilal Erdogan, son of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also belongs.
The motto of the demonstration was “Mercy for our martyrs, support for Palestine and curse against Israel”. The official Anadolu news agency spoke of “hundreds of thousands” of participants.
With Turkish and Palestinian flags, protesters marched to the Galata Bridge over the Bosphorus. They shouted slogans such as “Killer Israel, get out of Palestine” and “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) and accused both the PKK, which has been fighting the Turkish state for decades and wants to achieve an independent Kurdish state or autonomy, and Israel “Terrorism ”.
The president's son took the floor
Bilal Erdogan spoke in front of the crowd. “Our prayers are our best weapons to emerge from the darkness. “Hail our holy martyrs who light our path.” The president's 42-year-old son added that he had been to the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem. “The people there have hope in Turkey and in Recep Tayyip Erdogan”, assured Bilal Erdogan.