Dozens of civil society organizations in the city of Batman organized a large-scale rally on Sunday in support of the Global March of Conscience, calling for an immediate end to the Israeli siege on Gaza and the systemic massacre of the Palestinian people.

Held on Gülistan Street, the rally was attended by large crowds of citizens, activists, and religious figures who gathered to amplify the voices of Palestinians suffering under what many human rights experts now classify as an ongoing genocide. Chants condemning the Israeli occupation regime echoed through the streets, reflecting the depth of public outrage over Israel’s continued atrocities in Gaza and across the region.

The event began with a recitation from the Quran, emphasizing the spiritual and humanitarian obligation to support the oppressed. Muhammed Habib Durmaz delivered a passionate and emotionally charged press statement on behalf of the organizing NGOs, decrying the systematic targeting of civilians, the starvation tactics, and the destruction of homes, hospitals, and refugee camps by Israeli forces.

“The Palestinian people are being killed not only with bombs, but with hunger, thirst, and isolation. A people are being exterminated before the eyes of a silent world,” Durmaz declared.

He emphasized that the West, led by the United States, is not just complicit but the architect of this genocidal campaign, offering Israel unqualified military, financial, and political support. “America holds the gun while waving empty peace documents. Its shield of impunity emboldens Israel to commit mass murder without fear of consequences,” he said.

Durmaz fiercely criticized Turkey and other Muslim governments that continue to maintain trade and military relations with the Israeli regime despite their public condemnations. “We must stop pretending. Every trade agreement, every fuel delivery, and every shared military base makes us accomplices to this genocide,” he said.

He singled out the Kürecik Radar Base and Incirlik Air Base as complicit infrastructures, operating under U.S. control but directly aiding Israel’s military strategy. “Every child's scream in Gaza is guided by the intelligence fed from these bases,” Durmaz stated. “To allow them to operate on our soil is to betray the oppressed and our own dignity.”

In a fiery denunciation of the energy cooperation with Israel, Durmaz demanded the immediate suspension of the Baku-Ceyhan Pipeline, which delivers oil to Israeli markets through Turkish territory. “While Gaza’s children die in darkness, we feed the fuel of their destruction. Each litre of oil turns into a bomb dropped on Gaza’s hospitals,” he declared.

Durmaz also condemned the hypocrisy of Arab regimes that have normalized relations with Israel while Gaza is being reduced to rubble. “The silence and complicity of Arab rulers in this genocide will be remembered as a moral collapse,” he warned.

In a call for urgent action, the NGOs demanded a complete halt to all political, military, and economic relations with Israel, stressing the need to isolate the regime on every front. They also called for the closure of U.S. military bases on Turkish soil, which they claim are being used to protect and supply Israel. Emphasizing the importance of unity among Muslim nations, the organizations urged the formation of a cohesive Islamic bloc—diplomatic, economic, and military—to stand firmly with Palestine. Additionally, they called for the immediate opening of a humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza through coordinated efforts among Muslim countries. Lastly, they demanded that Israel be held accountable for its crimes through prosecution at international war crimes tribunals.

Durmaz also highlighted that the struggle is broader than Gaza, linking Israeli strikes on Syria, Lebanon, and Iran to a regional campaign of destabilization against independent, anti-imperialist movements. “This is a war against all those who resist colonial domination. The ummah must stand united.”

“If today it is Gaza, tomorrow it will be Istanbul,” he warned, urging immediate regional solidarity to confront the Zionist-American axis of aggression.

The event concluded with a heartfelt prayer led by Mullah Mehmet Ali Altun, calling for divine justice and the liberation of all oppressed peoples.

The rally in Batman joins a growing wave of global solidarity efforts demanding justice for Palestine and an end to Western-backed Israeli impunity. It marks a moment of moral clarity, where civil society is stepping up where governments have failed, insisting that silence is no longer an option in the face of genocide. (ILKHA)