A weekly protest organized in Türkiye's eastern province of Malatya to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and oppose Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza entered its 14th consecutive week, with participants renewing calls for a sustained boycott of companies that are linked to or supportive of the Israeli occupation.

The demonstration was held outside a Burger King branch on Altın Kayısı Boulevard in Tecde Mahallesi of Yeşilyurt district. Organized by local residents and supported by the Kudüs Kardeşlik Platformu (Jerusalem Brotherhood Platform), the weekly protest has become a symbol of continued public opposition to what participants described as Israel's genocide against Palestinians.

The program opened with the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by speeches emphasizing the moral and religious obligation to stand with the oppressed people of Palestine and expand the global boycott movement targeting companies accused of financially benefiting the Israeli occupation.

HÜDA PAR backs boycott campaign

HÜDA PAR Malatya Provincial Chairman Behçet Sevgili voiced his party's full support for the protest, urging businesses to stop selling products associated with brands included in the international boycott movement.

"As HÜDA PAR, we are here to support this honorable stand," Sevgili said. "We call on these businesses to abandon products whose profits are linked to the bloodshed of our Muslim brothers and sisters in Gaza. Every purchase that strengthens companies supporting Israel ultimately contributes to the bullets and bombs used against the Palestinian people."

He stressed that Muslims should seek lawful livelihoods without contributing, directly or indirectly, to what he described as Israel's crimes against civilians.

"The way to earn halal sustenance is wide open," he said. "We oppose injustice, not individuals. We call on everyone involved in promoting these products to end their support for Zionism."

"The boycott will continue until Palestine is free"

Speaking on behalf of the Kudüs Kardeşlik Platformu, Sait Geçen declared that the demonstrations would continue as long as Israel's attacks on Gaza persist.

"This is our 14th week, and we have no intention of stopping," Geçen said. "Wherever companies provide financial lifelines to the Zionist regime, we will continue raising our voices."

He said the campaign extends beyond a single brand, emphasizing that all companies viewed as contributing to Israel's economy remain legitimate targets of peaceful consumer boycotts.

"Our struggle is not limited to Burger King," he said. "Today we are here, tomorrow we may stand in front of Starbucks or Coca-Cola. What matters is drying up the financial resources that sustain the occupation and the oppression of the Palestinian people."

"Gaza must never be forgotten"

Geçen warned against allowing the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza to disappear from public attention.

"For more than a thousand days, Gaza has witnessed endless bloodshed while the world watches," he said. "The suffering of Palestine must remain alive in our hearts and on the global agenda. We have a responsibility to remind humanity of the injustice taking place every day."

Economic resistance described as a moral responsibility

Participant İshak Güven said the boycott represents one of the most effective peaceful means of standing against Israeli aggression.

"We gather here every weekend because we believe it is wrong to strengthen companies that are seen as supporting Israel while innocent Palestinians continue to be massacred," he said.

Ömer Kartal urged consumers to recognize the consequences of their purchasing decisions.

"Every product bought from companies that support Israel helps prolong the suffering of Palestinian children," he said. "People must ask themselves whether they are willing to carry that responsibility."

"The children of Gaza are our children"

Participant Ayşe Özgür described the weekly demonstrations as a matter of conscience.

"We are here because our conscience will not allow us to remain silent," she said. "The children being killed in Gaza are our children. We are witnessing a genocide before the eyes of the world, and remaining silent is not an option."

She called on the people of Malatya to strengthen the boycott by refusing to support businesses included in the campaign.

Residents pledge to continue boycott

Local residents also vowed to maintain pressure through consumer action.

Hafsa Sultan Özgür encouraged people not to underestimate the impact of individual boycotts, saying collective action can produce meaningful change.

Zeynep Ahsen Dayan urged residents to make the boycott part of their daily lives by avoiding companies associated with Israel.

Resident Birsen Köse, who has attended the demonstrations since they began, said the campaign would continue until justice is achieved for Palestine.

"As long as Gaza continues to suffer under occupation and bombardment, we will continue this boycott with the same determination we had on the first day," she said. "The goal is to weaken the economic networks that help sustain Israel's war machine and to stand firmly beside the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom and dignity."

The Malatya demonstrations reflect a broader boycott movement that has expanded across Türkiye and many parts of the world, where activists continue to call for economic pressure on companies they believe are linked to Israel, arguing that peaceful consumer action is an important means of supporting the Palestinian cause and demanding accountability for the devastation in Gaza. (ILKHA)