2023-10-19 09:30:15
Ankara. Reactions to the bombardment launched by Israel after Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7 continue to increase in Turkey. After the explosion in Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza, Israel was protested in more than 20 cities, including Istanbul and Ankara, Diyarbakır, Van, Kocaeli and Bursa. The most crowded protest took place in Istanbul.
With calls made on social media, thousands of Istanbulites met in front of the Israeli Consulate General in Levent. The police took extensive security action in front of the Consulate General and used tear gas as the demonstrators moved towards the diplomatic mission. During the police intervention, Eshabil Tüfekçi, father of Saadet Party Istanbul Provincial Vice President Nuri Tüfekçi, who was a few hundred meters away, had a heart attack. The son of Tüfekçi, who died in the hospital, said on his social media account that there was no connection between his father’s death and the police’s intervention with pepper gas.
63 people, 43 of whom were police officers, were injured in Istanbul.
Police made a statement: “Avoid irreparable actions”
In its written statement, Istanbul Police Department asked citizens who “want to react to Israel’s bombardments against civilians – which resemble terrorist attacks” – to avoid irreparable actions.
In the statement, it was stated that during the protest attended by 80 thousand people, a group took action to enter the consulate building and attacked the security forces with stones, sticks, torches and fireworks.
“Five people who were found to have crossed the police barrier and attacked our police forces were detained by our police forces. Identification procedures for the violent group are continuing. Our citizen named Eshabil Tüfekçi, born in 1958, who was at the scene during the protest demonstration, was hospitalized due to a heart attack. Despite the interventions, he could not be saved and lost his life. “A total of 63 citizens, 43 of whom were police officers, were also injured in the incidents.”
Another protest in Istanbul was organized by the Communist Party of Türkiye. In the action held in Şişhane Square, Israel and the USA were protested, and it was argued that imperialism had turned the region into a bloodbath.
Özdağ: “Declare this ambassador persona non grata”
The center of the protests in Ankara was in front of the Israeli Embassy Residence. Deputies from the Saadet Party and the Future Party also attended the demonstrations. Addressing the crowd, Future Party Deputy Selçuk Özdağ said, “We have nothing to do with Jews and Jews, but we challenge Israeli Zionism. “Never in any war in the world has a hospital or a place of worship been bombed,” he said, then addressed President Erdoğan.
Demonstrators carrying banners reading “No to Genocide” walked from Kocatape Mosque to Abdi İpekçi Park in Ankara to support the Palestinians. Özdağ said, “Yesterday you were saying ‘One minute’. Now you come in front of them at the embassy and shake hands with Netanyahu. Declare this ambassador persona non grata, we don’t want them in our country. “Türkiye stands with Palestine and will not forget the atrocities committed,” he said.
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