Hundreds gathered in Ankara on Sunday under the leadership of the Ankara Palestine Solidarity Platform (ANFIDAP) for a march titled "Children are Marching for Gaza."

The protest, which began at Tuğba Altınok Mosque and marched toward the U.S. Embassy, saw children take the lead as symbols of hope and resistance, voicing the cries of their counterparts suffering under Israeli bombardment.

Hundreds of families, activists, students, and community leaders participated in the march, which featured impassioned speeches from prominent figures. Among them were Abdulhamit Ateş, a Mavi Marmara survivor who was wounded by Israeli forces in the 2010 aid flotilla attack, and Palestinian academic Assoc. Prof. Dr. Khalid Al-Uveysi, an Islamic History lecturer at Ankara Social Sciences University.

"The murderer Israel continues to attack without recognizing any law," Ateş declared. "Fifteen years ago, the Mavi Marmara set out, and its journey continues. We will not stop until Gaza is free, Palestine is liberated, and the oppressors are defeated."

El-Uveysi delivered a sobering message, condemning the inaction of the global Muslim community: "Two billion Muslims could not deliver a single glass of water to Gaza for 62 days. This is a shame to the Ummah. While our brothers and sisters in Gaza struggle for us all, some continue to trade with the Zionists. That is a betrayal not only of Palestine but of all humanity."

The program concluded with a comprehensive press statement read by ANFIDAP representative Burak Çıkıryel, who slammed Israel's ongoing genocide and called for concrete political and economic action.

"For exactly 576 days, since October 7, 2023, the crimes against humanity committed by Zionist Israel have continued with unimaginable brutality. Children, women, and innocent civilians are massacred daily, yet the world remains shamefully silent," Çıkıryel said.

He harshly criticized the West's double standards: "If these crimes were committed in the West, NATO and the U.S. would immediately activate all sanction mechanisms. But when it comes to Palestine, they do not even bother hiding their complicity."

ANFIDAP outlined specific demands, including an immediate blockade and embargo against Israel in response to its siege on Gaza; the closure of all airfields, ports, and military facilities in Türkiye to Israeli, U.S., and NATO forces until the genocide ends; the termination of oil transport to Israel, including pipelines running through Türkiye; international protection for ships of the Freedom Flotilla following Israel's recent aggression in international waters near Malta; and the revocation of Turkish citizenship for dual nationals involved in the Gaza massacres.

The group also called for the immediate release of Turkish student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was imprisoned in the United States while advocating for Palestine. Çıkıryel warned of diplomatic consequences if her release is not secured.

He concluded with a powerful warning to the world: "If this barbarity of Israel is not stopped, humanity will descend into disaster. We will not stop until Jerusalem is free, Al-Aqsa is unshackled, and the children of Gaza can sleep in peace. Long live the Palestinian resistance! Down with the Zionist occupation, down with the U.S. and NATO!"

The event in Ankara joins a growing wave of mass demonstrations across Türkiye and around the world, as civil society intensifies pressure for a total boycott of the Israeli regime and a just end to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. (ILKHA)