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Civil society groups in Türkiye will gather in Istanbul on Saturday evening for a march from Beyazit Square to the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque to protest Israel’s blockade and military attacks on Gaza.
The march will take place on August 9 around 21:00 and will feature lanterns and phone lights under the theme “Gazzeye umut isigi ol!” (Be a light of hope for Gaza).
The Platform for Supporting Palestine (Filistine Destek Platformu) announced the event on social media, inviting “all citizens who want to be a light of hope for Gaza” to attend.
The post read: “We are walking from Beyazit to Hagia Sophia for Gaza, which is under genocide and starvation. To be a light of hope for Gaza: bring your lantern.”
Platform Chair Mehmet Guney said the march is “not an ordinary event” and aims to show solidarity with those resisting in Gaza.
“We are with those defending their homeland. We invite you to declare that you stand with people resisting starvation despite the risk of death,” he told supporters.
At a press conference, Salih Ince read the platform’s official statement, describing Israel’s blockade as a “policy of oppression” that blocks food, medicine, clean water, and electricity.
He said these restrictions are part of a deliberate war strategy and accused Israel of targeting civilians at aid points.
Figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry show that since October 7, 2023, 193 Palestinians, including 96 children, have died from hunger.
Local authorities reported that in the last 24 hours alone, 100 Palestinians were killed in attacks and five more, including two toddlers, died of starvation. Officials said only 92 aid trucks entered Gaza on Thursday, while 6,600 were blocked.
Hasan Turan, head of the Türkiye–Palestine Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, condemned the blockade and called for global action.
“No one should die because they cannot find food, water, or flour. Let us not watch a people being executed at aid distribution points,” he said.
This week also saw the launch of the “Senin Icin” (For You) campaign by the Migration and Diaspora Foundation) and the International Union of Women for Jerusalem and Palestine.
Speaking in Fatih’s Neslisah Cultural Center, Turkish and Arab NGOs said, “We are here for Palestinian women.”
Event details
Organizers say Saturday’s march is intended to send a visible message from Türkiye to the international community that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza cannot be ignored.
By walking through Istanbul’s historic center with lanterns and lights, they aim to draw attention to the ongoing blockade and starvation, and to show that solidarity with the people of Gaza remains strong.
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