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In another display of solidarity with the Palestinians, the Turkish public took to the streets on Monday in 81 provinces for an unprecedented human chain.
The “Silent Cry for Gaza” event, organized by the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) women’s branch, came one day after massive rallies across the country to protest Israel and days after Turkish activists joining the Global Sumud Flotilla received a warm welcome upon return from Israel.
The Turkish public and government are major supporters of the Palestinian cause and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan himself joined an enormous rally for Gaza in 2023, while his son Bilal Erdoğan, who serves as a member of the High Advisory Board of TÜGVA, was among thousands attending a pro-Palestine rally at the heart of Istanbul on New Year’s Day.
Türkiye has been a traditional ally to Palestine, but as the Israeli attacks became more brutal, Ankara has become harsher in its criticism in the past year. It has condemned what it calls genocide, halted all trade with Israel and applied to join a genocide case against Israel at the World Court, which Israel rejects. In addition to delivering humanitarian aid, Türkiye has sought to rally international organizations, including the United Nations, NATO and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), to restrain Israel.
Speaking as she joined other women in the chain on the coast of Istanbul’s Usküdar, Tuğba Işık Ercan, head of the AK Party’s women’s branch, said they were now short of words. “Everything is said about Gaza. Now, we are here to express the silent cry of Gaza’s mothers, children and everybody there. Currently, we have a chain stretching approximately 4 kilometers (2.49 miles), from Usküdar Square to the Harem quarter. In 81 provinces, all women joined hands at the squares and streets for a silent cry for the women of Gaza. We believe this cry will be heard. Peace is only possible if women are involved,” she said. Özlem Zengin, deputy parliamentary group chair of AK Party, who joined the chain in Usküdar, said it was a “scream from the souls of ordinary people.” “They say enough is enough. Around the world, people call their governments to stop supporting Israel. People show their governments that the real power lies with the civilian people taking action,” she said. Zengin hailed that a large number of people convened in Istanbul after a simple call. “This is the symbol of an outcry. Eventually, massacres will cease because people react. People reacted through a flotilla. If humanity stands together, our power will stop massacres,” she said.
This month, Gaza marks its second year under severe Israeli oppression that snowballed into a genocide. More than 66,000 people, mainly women and children, were killed in Israel’s attacks in the Palestinian enclave and other Palestinian territories, plagued by massacres perpetrated by the Netanyahu regime.
The world is now watching how a plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the conflict will unfold and whether it will succeed in ending the genocide. Delegations from Hamas, Israel and the U.S. were scheduled to come together later on Monday to discuss the plan that involves Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel. Trump’s plan also requires disarmament of the resistance movement, which lost the majority of its senior leadership in attacks by Israel in the past two years. Türkiye supports the plan, though vaguely for now, as Ankara hopes it will bring lasting peace to the region, rather than a temporary cease-fire last March that quickly collapsed.
Türkiye exerted intense efforts for an end to the conflict and persisted in its call for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as the capital of a sovereign State of Palestine. Palestine’s recognition, though, only became more tangible as more countries joined an initiative to that extent at the United Nations. Along with diplomatic efforts, Türkiye pursued the delivery of humanitarian aid to besieged Gazans. Leading the aid efforts, the Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) spearheaded five of the “Goodness Ship” deliveries over the past two years, sending a total of 869 truckloads (15,089 tons) of food, hygiene, shelter and medical supplies on 10 ships.
