Thousands of people filled the streets of Ankara on Sunday for the Gaza Determination March, organized under the leadership of the Ankara Palestine Solidarity Platform (ANFİDAP), in a powerful display of solidarity with the people of Gaza.

The march, which began at Melike Hatun Mosque and concluded at July 15 Kızılay National Will Square, drew large crowds waving Palestinian flags and chanting against the ongoing Israeli genocide.

Among the participants was HÜDA PAR Chairman Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu, who addressed the crowd and spoke to reporters from the İlke News Agency (İLKHA). In his remarks, Yapıcıoğlu denounced the Israeli regime’s continuing massacres in Gaza, which he described as “the most horrific and brutal genocide history has ever witnessed.”

“In two days, it will be exactly two years,” he said. “For two years, Gaza has faced the worst form of savagery humanity has ever seen. The Global Sumud Fleet set out to break the 17-year blockade on Gaza. Even if they could not reach the shores of Gaza, they accomplished something greater — they reminded the world of the cruelty of this blockade, which many had forgotten even existed.”

Yapıcıoğlu emphasized that the aggression and violence of the Zionist occupation will ultimately lead to its own downfall, warning that “no nation can survive by oppressing others.”

“Israel’s brutality is being seen by more and more people every day,” he stated. “History will once again prove that no one prospers through oppression. These tyrants will fall, and God willing, they will be erased from the stage of history. They themselves call it the ‘mad dog strategy’—attacking blindly and viciously. But even a rabid dog dies from its own disease. This aggression will destroy Israel, but for that to happen sooner, we must unite. We must act together.”

Calling on the Muslim world and all people of conscience to go beyond words and take concrete steps, Yapıcıoğlu urged: “We need to move beyond chanting slogans. It is time for real action. Following the GlobalSumud Flotilla, larger fleets must set sail. Sumud means determination — and we must remain determined until the embargo and blockade are completely lifted, until Gaza is free, and until all of Palestine is liberated from occupation. We will not stop. With God’s permission, oppression will end, and the days of justice and freedom are near.”

The march in Ankara was part of a broader wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations across Türkiye on October 5, 2025, as tens of thousands rallied in Istanbul, Izmir, Diyarbakır, and Van to denounce Israel’s ongoing war crimes and express solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla.

These marches — filled with Palestinian flags, Qur’an recitations, and calls for Muslim unity — underscored Türkiye’s growing grassroots movement in defense of Gaza’s oppressed. Demonstrators demanded the immediate end of the Israeli blockade, accountability for war crimes, and international recognition of the Palestinian right to resistance and liberation.

As Yapıcıoğlu and other speakers emphasized, the spirit of Sumud — steadfastness and determination — continues to live on in the hearts of millions across the Muslim world, as Gaza’s struggle becomes a symbol of faith, resilience, and the unyielding quest for freedom. (ILKHA)