Protesters carrying banners condemning companies engaged in trade with Israel were barred from entering a pro-Palestine rally in İstanbul on Wednesday organized by a foundation managed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son Bilal, leading to the brief detention of three individuals, the Velev news website reported.
A group of young protesters arrived at the rally with a banner criticizing international shipping companies Maersk and Zim that read, “Murderous Zim, murderous Maersk, get out of Turkey — Zionism’s arms carriers!” However, authorities refused them entry, citing regulations about the size and design of banners allowed at the event.
A verbal altercation ensued, which led to the detention of three protesters, identified only as Fikret, Mecit and Salih. They were taken to the İstanbul Police Department and released after questioning.
A man identifying himself as the Black Sea regional representative of the pro-Erdoğan Turkish Youth Foundation (TÜGVA) defended the ban, saying that banners were pre-approved to ensure consistency. “There’s no issue with the message, but banners must meet certain size and design rules,” he said.
According to the Turkish Minute news website, more than 400 civil society organizations marched to Istanbul’s Galata Bridge on January 1 under the banner “Yesterday Hagia Sophia, Today Umayyad, Tomorrow Al-Aqsa.” The demonstration was organized by a platform led by the Foundation for Promotion of Science, whose president is Necmettin Bilal Erdoğan.
The slogan referenced Turkey’s conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque in 2020, a move supporters hailed as a restoration of Islamic heritage. “Today Umayyad” referred to Turkish intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın’s recent prayer at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus following the December ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad, signaling Turkey’s influence in post-Assad Syria. “Tomorrow Al-Aqsa” symbolized aspirations for broader political and symbolic leadership in the Muslim world, particularly regarding the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Addressing the crowd, Bilal Erdoğan pledged Turkey’s support for Gaza, Palestine and Syria. “No one should think Turkey is asleep,” he said. “We are here. Turkey is here.”
Critics, however, accused Turkey of policy contradictions. A report by the Stop Fueling Genocide campaign said 10 shipments of crude oil were sent from Turkey to Israel in 2024, despite Ankara’s embargo. The shipments, tracked through satellite imagery and shipping data, reportedly included Azeri crude transported via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, a major source of Israel’s oil imports.
The report alleged that tankers such as the Kimolos and Seavigour frequently disabled tracking signals in the eastern Mediterranean to conceal their movements. Evidence showed deliveries to Israel’s EAPC terminal in Ashkelon, contradicting statements by Turkey’s energy minister, who had denied any shipments to Israel since the embargo began in May 2024.
