By Zeynep Rakipoglu, Hikmet Faruk Baser, Zeynep Yesildal and Hasan Huseyin Kul
ISTANBUL (AA) – Thousands of people gathered on Monday for an event titled "Mercy for our martyrs, support for Palestine, curse on Israel” in mosques during the morning prayers to join a procession organized by Türkiye’s NGO TUGVA and National Will Platform.
The event involved the participation of 308 non-governmental organizations (NGOs). After the morning prayers at Hagia Sophia Mosque, Eminonu New Mosque, Sultanahmet Mosque, and Suleymaniye Mosque, the participants rallied in the mosque courtyards, offering prayers for the martyrs and Palestinians who lost their lives in Israeli attacks.
The participants assembled in Hagia Sophia Square after the prayers and chanted slogans such as "Martyrs never die, the homeland will not be divided," "Collaborator traitors will be held accountable, killer Israel will be held accountable," "Killer Israel, get out of Palestine," "Our blood, our lives sacrificed for Al-Aqsa," and "Greetings to Hamas, resistance will continue."
The Youth and Sports Minister Osman Askin Bak, former Turkish parliament speaker Mustafa Sentop, and the president of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for the Dissemination of Knowledge and a member of the High Advisory Board of TUGVA, Bilal Erdogan, were among the participants.
Prayers were also offered for the 12 Turkish soldiers killed in the Claw-Lock Operation zone in northern Iraq and for those killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza.
After the prayers, the participants began marching towards the Galata Bridge, carrying signs in Turkish, Arabic, and English.
*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul