Turkish poets call for 'global intifada' for Palestine

By Faruk Zorlu

A group of Turkish poets has issued a call for a "Global Intifada" for Palestine and "seeks to appeal to global public opinion on Gaza" through writings in different languages.

The Call from Türkiye Poets Initiative is backed by 140 poets, who signed a petition expressing concern over the ongoing attacks on Gaza by Israel, rejecting the portrayal of the current conflict as a war, and labeling it as "one of the most tragic plans for annihilation in human history."

The poets called on the "entire humanity" to put an immediate end to Israel’s "massacres and acts of aggression it has been carrying out on a regular basis since 1948, which has reached a peak in the ongoing massacre in Gaza."

“Women, the elderly, and children are fading away not only in front of our eyes but right within our eyes!” they said, adding: "We shall never stop shouting that with each death, humanity is killed as well."

"We shall not permit darkness to swallow up hope! We shall keep fighting for the rights of Gaza's people, first and foremost the children, women, and the elderly, as well as its birds and insects, to live freely in their own country, even if we are faced with one of the rarest savage powers in history," the petition read. "These are their inherent rights, and no power can take this right away from them."

As poets, the statement said, "we tear up and discard this image with our awareness, our spirit, and our words. We, as poets, consider it a duty to protect the dignity and 'existence' of humanity under siege in Gaza, and we say 'stop' to the killer."

The petition, titled "We will continue to shout that humanity dies in every person who dies," has been translated into more than 20 languages.

Israel has been carrying out incessant air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since the cross-border attack on Oct. 7 by Hamas. The targets have included hospitals, schools as well as other UN shelter facilities.

More than 11,180 Palestinians have been killed, including 4,609 children and 3,100 women, and over 28,200 others injured since the start of the conflict, according to official Palestinian figures.

Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, schools, and houses, have also been destroyed or damaged in the ongoing offensive.