Tens of thousands of people march in Istanbul to protest against “murderer” Israel’s war in Gaza with Hamas and the killing of Turkish soldiers by outlawed Kurdish militants in Iraq.
The rally, organized by a foundation that counts Bilal Erdogan, the son of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, among its members started after crowds performed morning prayers at Istanbul’s iconic mosques, including Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
Protesters wave Turkish and Palestinian flags as they rally to the Galata Bridge on the Bosphorus chanting: “Murderer Israel, get out of Palestine” and “Allahu Akbar” (God is the greatest).
Tens of thousands of people joined the rally “Mercy for our martyrs and a curse on Israel,” the official Anadolu news agency reports.
The elder Erdogan has lashed out at Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu multiple times since the outbreak of the war in Gaza and, in a speech last week in the Turkish capital, said Netanyahu was worse than Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
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From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 1, 2024
