The demonstration, coordinated by the Humanity Alliance and the National Will Platform with the participation of more than 400 civil society groups, called for an end to what speakers described as the genocide in Gaza. Participants assembled before dawn at major mosques across Istanbul, including Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet, Fatih and Suleymaniye, before marching to Galata Bridge despite freezing temperatures, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Bilal Erdogan, a senior figure of the Turkish Youth Foundation (TUGVA), said the new year had begun “with prayers for the oppressed in Palestine,” adding that the growing turnout each year reflected strong national unity. “We are praying together that the year 2026 will bring goodness for our entire nation and for the oppressed Palestinians,” he said.
🇹🇷🇵🇸Tens of thousands of people took part in a rally in support of #Palestine in #Istanbul.
— News.Az (@news_az) January 1, 2026
After morning prayers at major mosques, participants moved in groups toward the Galata Bridge, waving Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanting slogans. pic.twitter.com/8asrhJodDG
Addressing the crowd, TUGVA Chair Ibrahim Besinci described the rally as a collective moral stand. “There are hundreds of thousands here. There is an honorable nation standing upright against this genocide,” he said, citing figures on civilian casualties, detentions and destruction in Gaza.
The event also featured prayers, speeches, musical performances and the unveiling of a symbolic art installation highlighting cultural resistance in Gaza.
