Thousands of residents in Diyarbakır rallied on Sunday in a powerful show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, joining the Global Gaza March organized by the Prophet’s Lovers Foundation.

The mass demonstration was held in support of the Maghreb Resilience Convoy, which is advancing toward the besieged Gaza Strip in defiance of the inhumane Israeli blockade.

The event marked another chapter in Diyarbakır’s unwavering support for the people of Gaza, who have been subjected to over 600 days of relentless bombardment, siege, and genocide since 7 October 2023. With Islamic flags in hand, demonstrators gathered on Fırat Boulevard in the Kayapınar district and marched en masse to the Yenihal Bridge Junction. The air echoed with takbir (Allahu Akbar) and thunderous chants condemning the Israeli occupation regime and expressing solidarity with the defenders of Palestine.

At the culmination of the march, Mehmet Emin Gülsever, speaking on behalf of the Prophet’s Lovers Foundation, delivered a passionate and sobering press statement. Opening with the Quranic verse, “Those who oppress will soon know what kind of revolution they will be overthrown,” Gülsever denounced the ongoing genocide in Gaza as one of the darkest chapters in human history. “For more than 600 days, Gaza has been subjected to a barbaric campaign of destruction. Its homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques have been reduced to rubble. Human dignity is being crushed under the boots of Zionist tyranny,” he declared.

Gülsever revealed chilling statistics that lay bare the scale of the Israeli onslaught: over 63,000 Palestinians martyred, including more than 18,000 children, and 2,483 entire families wiped from the civil registry, effectively erased from existence. “This is not war—it is systematic extermination. This is not self-defense—it is industrial-scale slaughter of the innocent,” he said. Over 42,000 children have been orphaned, while 226 journalists who dared to report on Israel’s war crimes have been killed in cold blood.

He emphasized that the people of Gaza, despite overwhelming suffering, have become the moral compass for the world. “Their steadfastness has awakened the sleeping conscience of the globe. The streets of the world are filled with righteous fury. Peoples, not governments, have carried the banner of justice. In this age of betrayal and silence, Gaza’s resistance is our only remaining light,” he said.

Gülsever praised the Maghreb Resilience Convoy currently traveling through Libya toward Rafah, and the Global Gaza March in Cairo, which has attracted thousands of courageous activists from across continents. “The convoy and march are not just about aid—they are about reclaiming the honor of humanity,” he noted. He also condemned the Egyptian regime for blocking the border and acting as an accomplice in the siege. “The gates to Gaza must be opened not just for food and medicine, but for dignity and liberation.”

Turning to recent developments, Gülsever warned that the Zionist regime's aggression is no longer limited to Gaza. “Its warplanes and missiles now target Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iran. This is a project of total regional domination based on the racist delusion of ‘Greater Israel.’ Make no mistake: Türkiye is next. The Zionist enemy will not stop until it sees our minarets in flames,” he warned.

Gülsever called for the urgent establishment of a regional military alliance—referred to as the Jerusalem Alliance—to confront the occupation regime with force. “The time for words has passed. We need action. Türkiye must lead this alliance alongside nations of conscience to protect Gaza, liberate Jerusalem, and safeguard Al-Aqsa Mosque from desecration,” he urged.

He declared that the Zionist regime, emboldened by decades of international impunity and backed by Western powers, will only be stopped through armed resistance and united Muslim defiance. “Resistance is not terrorism. Resistance is dignity. Resistance is the command of our faith and the only language the occupier understands.”

Among the key demands outlined by Gülsever on behalf of the protestors were the immediate severing of all diplomatic, military, and economic ties with the Zionist regime, as well as the closure of all U.S. military bases in Türkiye that are being used to facilitate Israeli aggression. He called for the formation of an Islamic joint intervention force to defend Gaza and confront Zionist threats, alongside political and military support for countries like Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria, which have stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Gülsever also demanded condemnation and diplomatic pressure on Egypt for obstructing the Global Gaza March and aiding in the ongoing siege, and urged the immediate opening of the Rafah Border Crossing to allow for uninterrupted humanitarian relief. He called for full recognition and robust military support for Hamas and the broader Palestinian resistance, whom he described as “today’s Salahuddins,” as well as the provision of logistical, technological, and arms support until complete liberation is achieved. Additionally, he urged the imposition of comprehensive international sanctions against Israel and called for a global, lifelong boycott of Zionist-linked products, services, and corporations as a form of sustained resistance.

“Boycott is our economic jihad,” Gülsever said. “Not for a week, not for a year—but for a lifetime. Every lira, every dollar we withhold is a blow to the occupier’s heart.”

He concluded the statement with a thunderous call: “We will not rest until Gaza is free, until the flag of Tawheed flies over Jerusalem, and until the Zionist entity is erased from the pages of history. Salutations to the heroic people of Gaza, its noble martyrs, and the mujahideen who stand firm against the tyrants. May Allah’s peace and victory be upon them.”

The Diyarbakır march once again affirmed the deep connection between the people of Türkiye and the Palestinian cause—a bond rooted in faith, justice, and shared struggle against imperialism and oppression. (ILKHA)