Turkish charity urges march to American air base in southern Türkiye to push for Gaza cease-fire

By Fatih Ulas

ISTANBUL (AA) - The head of the Turkish charity, Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), called for a march Friday to the Incirlik Air Base in southern Adana province to press for a cease-fire between Israel and Palestine.

“We will go towards Incirlik Air Base with hundreds of thousands of people,” Bulent Yildirim told reporters in Istanbul on Tuesday. “Children are dying. If you remain silent, the same will happen to our children.”

Yildirim said demonstrators will begin in Istanbul to the Incirlik Air Base, where American troops are stationed.

He also urged the Turkish parliament to make an agenda for the closure of the Incirlik and Kurecik bases and encouraged all actors to put pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to sign a cease-fire in the besieged Gaza Strip.

He said a humanitarian aid corridor should be opened immediately as he praised the efforts of those who took action across the world to stop the war.

If the humanitarian corridor is not opened, the charity will invite activists from all over the world to Egypt in the coming days and will organize ships that will bring humanitarian aid to Palestine, he added.

The Israeli army expanded its air and ground attacks this week on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the Palestinian group, Hamas, launched a surprise offensive against Israel on Oct. 7.

The death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has climbed to 8,525, the Health Ministry in the blockaded enclave said Tuesday.

More than 1,538 Israelis have been killed in the conflict.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar