Mass rally in Istanbul shows solidarity with Palestine at year's start

Hundreds of thousands of people have marched through Istanbul, joining a large-scale event organised by the Türkiye Youth Foundation (TUGVA) under the theme "Awakening the World."

In the early hours of the new year, people with the slogan 'Our destination is Galata Bridge,' began gathering after performing the morning prayer at the Aya Sofya Grand Mosque to show support for Palestine.

Many demonstrators wore keffiyehs to express support for Gaza and held placards with slogans such as "Jerusalem is ours," "Gaza: Where Children Don’t Grow Up," and "Jerusalem is under occupation."

Others lit torches as they marched, frequently chanting slogans like "Murderer Israel will be held accountable," "Martyrs never die," and "From Istanbul to Al-Aqsa, a thousand salutes to the resistance."

Upon reaching the Galata Bridge, participants passed through police checkpoints to enter the gathering area.

Aid organisations offered tea, simit, and soup to attendees, while authorities maintained heightened security measures around the mosques and the bridge to ensure the event proceeded safely.

This gathering emphasised Türkiye’s historical and cultural ties to Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, with participants calling for greater global awareness and action to support the Palestinian cause.