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Models wore outfits and keffiyehs at the opening ceremony of the 11th Laleli Fashion Shopping Festival bearing messages of support for Gaza.
The Laleli Industrialists and Businesspeople Association (LASIAD) organized the event on Monday, attended by Minister of Trade Omer Bolat Fatih Mayor Mehmet Ergun Turan, and numerous local and international guests.
The event demonstrated support for Palestine, with models walking the runway to express solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The 11th Laleli Fashion Shopping Festival, themed “The Fashion of the Future in the Light of the Past,” featured a 50-meter runway set up on Laleli Street, where 60 models walked wearing a total of 110 outfits from 11 different brands.
Models, including well-known names like Tulin Sahin and Sevval Sahin, walked the runway at the finale wearing t-shirts and scarves emblazoned with “Free Palestine.”
LASIAD head Giyasettin Eyyupkoca, draping a scarf over his shoulder, stated in his speech: “We condemn all forms of violence, but we strongly condemn the genocide being carried out by Israel.”
Speaking about her experience, Sevval Sahin said, “This is my first time walking on such a large runway set up on a major street,” adding that the enthusiastic response from the public made the moment even more special.
The show in Laleli came just days after a solidarity march in Istanbul on Aug. 9, where thousands of people, many of them wearing Palestinian keffiyehs and carrying flags, joined the campaign “Gazze’ye Umut Isıgi Ol” (Be a Light of Hope for Gaza).
The demonstration, organized by several civil society groups, started at Beyazit Square and ended at Hagia Sophia Mosque, underlining the strong public support in Türkiye for the Palestinian cause.
Thousands took part in the event that featured chants, banners, and symbolic gestures of resistance.
The keffiyeh continues to serve as a visible expression of solidarity, resilience, and resistance to displacement and occupation in Gaza. It is worn by Palestinians and supporters worldwide as a cultural emblem, a political statement, and a reminder of their enduring struggle for recognition and rights.
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