The rally was organized by the ruling AKP party. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a speech denouncing the positions of France and the United States, which he said “despise Muslims.”
It is a continuous flow that gradually fills the tarmac of the old Ataturk Airport. On Saturday, October 28th, a demonstration was organized in Istanbul at the initiative of the ruling AKP party. Tens of thousands of Turks registered and public transport was free for the occasion.
Many came with their families, there was no slogan, signs were forbidden inside the enclosure. For once, the Turkish flag competes with the Palestinian one. The support extends to the entire Turkish population: conservative Muslims and secularists alike. Ishmael is accompanied by his daughter: “I came to protest against the State of Israel, which is terrorist. I stand with the oppressed people of Palestine.”
“I am ready to fight for the Palestinian people. I am ready to be a martyr.”
Many women are veiled in black abayas, their foreheads are surrounded by a green band proclaiming the greatness of Allah, others wear a keffiyeh, the Palestinian shawl, on their shoulders. There are also Uzbeks there; a young man is waving a large Uyghur flag.
President Erdogan poses as a defender of the Palestinians
“The West’s contempt for Gaza” is widely criticized. President Erdogan called on Israel to “stop this madness and spare civilians.” Erdogan even wants to be a guarantor for the Palestinians and advocates a two-state solution.
While he was moderate the day after October 7, calling on both parties to end the violence, his speech became harsher after the Gaza hospital attack, for which Turkey blamed Israel. He does not consider Hamas a terrorist organization and has ties to what he calls a “liberation movement.” In recent months, Erdogan has begun a rapprochement with the Jewish state, but there is no longer any talk of a visit.
“The West bears sole responsibility for the massacres in Gaza. Israel is a war criminal who massacres women and children with complete impunity.”
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
at franceinfo
The Islamist parties that support him are pushing for this radicalization, as is his conservative base. The president also castigated the West, which “only despises Muslim blood.” The USA and the European Union are particularly ridiculed. As a good politician, Recep Tayyip Erdogan knows that he must make a strong case to gain the support of his electorate, votes that will be valuable in next year’s local elections.