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More than half a million people gathered early Thursday on Istanbul’s Galata Bridge for a large march in support of Palestine, organizers said, as demonstrators called for an end to what they described as genocide in Gaza.
The New Year’s Day rally was organized under the umbrella of the Humanity Alliance and the National Will Platform, with participation from more than 400 civil society organizations. The demonstration was led by the Turkish Youth Foundation, known as TUGVA, and held under the slogan, “We won’t cower, we won’t keep quiet, we won’t forget Palestine.”
Organizers said about 520,000 people took part.
Ahead of the event, participants convened before dawn prayers at major mosques across Istanbul, including Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Sultanahmet Mosque, Fatih, Suleymaniye and Eminonu New Mosque. Many carried Turkish and Palestinian flags as they gathered in mosque courtyards in a show of solidarity.
Despite freezing temperatures, turnout was high. Authorities implemented extensive security measures, particularly around Sultanahmet Square, where participants were also offered hot beverages.
Following morning prayers, demonstrators walked toward Galata Bridge, joined by Cabinet ministers, senior officials and other public figures. The program officially began at 8:30 a.m. local time (0530 GMT).
With roads leading to the bridge closed to traffic, participants reached the area on foot from designated points or by boat. Those arriving by sea lit flares and waved Turkish and Palestinian flags as they approached the bridge.
A large banner depicting Hanzala, an iconic figure associated with the Palestinian cause created by late Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali, was displayed on a building behind the main press platform.
The event also featured performances by musicians, including Lebanese-Swedish singer Maher Zain, Turkish musician Esat Kabakli and the band Grup Yuruyus.
Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz shared a message on Turkish social media platform NSosyal, saying: “The Humanity Alliance extends hundreds of thousands of greetings from Istanbul to the Palestinian people, to Gaza, and to all the oppressed across the world. We sincerely thank all individuals and institutions who contributed to this effort.”
Speaking to reporters during the march, Bilal Erdogan, chair of the Board of Trustees of the Ilim Yayma Foundation and a member of TUGVA’s High Advisory Board, said beginning the new year with prayers for Palestine carried strong spiritual meaning.
Erdogan said gathering at mosques at dawn reflected moral and spiritual unity, adding that collective prayers on the first morning of the year were deeply significant.
“While we are praying for the oppressed in Palestine, of course we are also commemorating our martyrs,” he said. “At the same time, we are praying together that 2026 will bring goodness for our entire nation and for the oppressed Palestinians.”
He thanked those who participated and supported the prayers, saying turnout at the annual event had grown each year.
“Every year, compared to the previous one, we feel that this morning is marked by broader participation and that, as a nation, we sense how strong our shared common ground truly is,” Erdogan said.
Addressing the crowd from Galata Bridge, TUGVA Chair Ibrahim Besinci said the size of the rally reflected a collective moral stance against violence in Palestine.
“Today, there are hundreds of thousands here. There is an honorable nation standing upright against this genocide,” Besinci said. “There are the prayers of the oppressed and the legacy of our martyrs.”
Calling the bridge a “tribune of conscience,” he said it had become a moral platform uniting people from different cities, languages and backgrounds.
Besinci also commemorated three police officers — Ilker Pehlivan, Turgut Kulunk and Yasin Kocyigit — who were killed earlier this week during an operation against the terrorist group ISIS (Daesh) in the northwestern province of Yalova.
Citing figures on Gaza, Besinci said that over the past 27 months, 210,000 tons of bombs had been dropped on the enclave, 70,000 civilians had been killed, 2,600 families had been entirely wiped out and 5,000 families had only one surviving member. He added that 45,000 Palestinians had undergone amputations and 12,000 had been detained.
“In other words, before the eyes of the entire world, a people has been erased not just from the map, but from life,” he said.
On Wednesday, a joint platform of civil society organizations held a news conference at TUGVA headquarters, where the chairs of major sports clubs Besiktas, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor, along with Fenerbahce board member Ertan Torunogullari, voiced support for the march. Several other clubs also urged public participation.
At the same briefing, Bilal Erdogan said more than 70,000 civilians, including at least 20,000 children, had been killed in Gaza since October 2023.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 414 people have been killed and more than 1,100 injured since the Oct. 10 ceasefire that halted Israel’s two-year war.
As part of the program, prayers for Palestinians continued from a stage set up on Galata Bridge. An art installation titled “Roots” was also unveiled, drawing attention to what organizers described as the targeting of culture and art in Gaza.
According to TUGVA, the installation symbolized memory and resistance amid cultural destruction. An olive tree rising from rubble represented deep-rooted resilience, while overturned chairs, scattered musical instruments, books and a camera symbolized efforts to silence cultural production.
The phrase “We Will Stay Here,” written in three languages, underscored what organizers described as determination in the face of cultural and human loss.
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