The streets of Ankara witnessed one of the largest Palestine solidarity mobilizations in recent months as tens of thousands of people from across Anatolia gathered in the Turkish capital, marching to the Grand National Assembly in an urgent appeal for the creation of a humanitarian aid corridor to Gaza.

Organized by the Ankara Palestine Solidarity Platform (ANFİDAP), the march took place under the resonant slogan: “From Anatolia to Parliament, from Parliament to Gaza; Humanitarian Corridor to Gaza.” Participants traveled from dozens of provinces, with buses and caravans arriving in Ankara from Konya, Kayseri, Sivas, Erzurum, Diyarbakır, and beyond — turning the capital into a sea of Palestinian flags, banners, and the green of solidarity scarves.

From the mosques to the parliament

The demonstration began after the Sunday midday prayer at Kocatepe Mosque, one of Ankara’s most iconic places of worship. Worshippers, joined by activists, NGO members, students, and families, poured into the streets chanting “Allahu Akbar”, “Kahrolsun İsrail” (Down with Israel), and “Gaza will not bow down.”

With the sound of drums, takbirs, and rhythmic slogans, the crowd moved as a human river through the city center toward Parliament.

As they marched, volunteers handed out leaflets detailing the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, citing figures from the UN and humanitarian agencies: tens of thousands killed since October 2023, more than two million under siege, and famine now threatening every household in the Strip.

“Zionism is a network of global oppression”

At the Parliament Square, a massive stage was set up for speeches. İsmail Mansur Özdemir, spokesperson for ANFİDAP and leader of the Ankara Imam Hatip Association, delivered a powerful address.

He described Zionism as “the most dangerous and criminal network in human history”, accusing it of perpetrating systematic ethnic cleansing, not just in Gaza but throughout the occupied Palestinian territories.

“For the first time in modern history, we are witnessing a genocide live on television and social media — and yet it continues, even as the International Criminal Court hears the case,” Özdemir said. “Gaza is being starved, bombed, and cut off from the world in full view of the so-called international community.”

Özdemir described Gaza’s ordeal as a “deliberate extermination by hunger,” pointing to harrowing examples that lay bare the cruelty of the siege: 10-year-old Emir, who walked 12 kilometers in desperate search of aid, only to be brutally shot dead by Israeli forces; and 9-year-old Meryem, whose frail body has withered to a mere nine kilograms due to severe malnutrition.

“These are not just statistics,” Özdemir told the crowd. “These are our children. Our responsibility before Allah is to act.”

Humanitarian corridor: an urgent necessity

The key demand of the protest was the establishment of a continuous, secure humanitarian corridor by air, land, and sea — a mechanism that would bypass Israeli restrictions and ensure the direct delivery of food, water, and medical supplies to Gaza.

Özdemir called on Türkiye’s Parliament to pass a joint, non-partisan resolution compelling the government to lead this initiative internationally.

“If we cannot defend Gaza — our heart — then we have lost our own humanity. The Parliament that once stood up to occupiers during our War of Independence must now rise for Gaza,” he declared, drawing loud chants of “Gaza is not alone!”

A wider movement: from aid ships to boycott campaigns

The Ankara march was not an isolated event but part of a broader wave of solidarity efforts spreading across Türkiye, from aid convoys departing Anatolian cities en route to the Egyptian border, to the Global Sumud Fleet preparing to set sail with desperately needed humanitarian cargo, and the growing momentum of BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) campaigns taking root in Turkish markets and universities.

NGO representatives at the rally emphasized that a parliamentary initiative could give political backing to these civil society efforts, making them harder to block by foreign powers.

Political unity for a moral cause

One striking element of the march was the diversity of political and social groups involved. From conservative religious organizations to left-wing rights groups, from student unions to professional chambers, the crowd’s message was clear: Palestine is not a partisan issue — it is a moral imperative.

Özdemir concluded his speech with a prayer for Gaza’s martyrs and a promise that Anatolia’s people would not remain silent: “Gaza’s cry is the cry of humanity itself. If the heart of humanity stops beating in Gaza, the world will fall into darkness. We stand here today to ensure that heart keeps beating.”

The march ended peacefully, with thousands remaining in the square to recite dua (supplications) for Gaza and to commit to further actions in the coming weeks. Organizers have already announced plans for continuous vigils outside Parliament until concrete steps toward a humanitarian corridor are taken.

For the people of Ankara — and for the tens of thousands who filled its streets — this was more than a protest. It was a declaration: Gaza’s struggle is our struggle, and we will not rest until the siege is broken. (ILKHA)