Activists detained on Friday during a protest against the Turkish government’s commercial ties with Israel claimed to be subjected to police mistreatment, the Bold Medya news website reported.
According to the activists’ lawyer, Alev Sezen, the students were denied basic rights, such as being able to use the toilet or perform their prayers. Sezen also said he was not allowed to speak to the students in private.
The demonstrations took place during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s inauguration speech at the TRT World Forum, where a group of nine pro-Palestinian activists demanded the government cease trade with Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, which led to the death of approximately 1,200 Israelis and the taking of 251 hostages, Israel launched an intense military campaign on Gaza. This bombardment, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians — mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry — has drawn widespread international condemnation. Turkey has repeatedly condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“Our ships are carrying bombs to Gaza,” the students chanted and they demanded an answer as to why the government was still trading with Israel while publicly condemning atrocities committed in the Palestinian enclave.
The slogan was in reference to a German ship reportedly carrying explosives to Israel, which was permitted to dock in Istanbul in early November, after being denied entry by several other countries.
The activists were detained and accused of “insulting the Turkish president,” and “violating the law on protests and demonstration.” All nine students were arrested on Monday and sent to different prisons in Istanbul.
Speaking outside Istanbul’s Çağlayan courthouse, human rights advocates, opposition politicians and the families of the detained students condemned the arrests, calling them unlawful.
Mustafa Kaya, chairman of the opposition Saadet Party, called for the immediate release of the students saying they had all the right to demand answers from the government about commerce with Israel.
Dilan Tekin, a student affiliated with a pro-Palestine organization, stated that they would continue to hold the government accountable for ongoing trade, despite her friends’ arrest and the possibility of future detentions.
Mustafa Yeneroğlu, from the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA Party), said it was unbelievable that people simply demanding justice for Palestine could be sent to prison. He accused the government of hypocrisy on their position regarding Israel and said it was embarrassing that government officials were silent about the arrests.
Turkish authorities have responded to pro-Palestinian demonstrations with mass detentions since the conflict started on October 7, 2023.
Turkey, one of Israel’s most vocal critics, has strongly denounced Israel’s actions in Gaza.
In May 2024, the Turkish government announced a halt in exports to Israel after a public outcry over Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Erdoğan has repeatedly accused Israel of “genocidal behavior” and compared the Netanyahu administration’s actions to those of Nazi Germany.
However, while official data show a near cessation of direct exports to Israel, trade with Palestine has surged to unprecedented levels, raising questions about whether goods are being rerouted to Israel.
Exiled journalist Metin Cihan has presented documents revealing that Turkey has supplied Israel with construction materials such as chicken wire and concrete as well as crude oil, which provides Turkey with much needed revenue.
The Turkish government denies claims of ongoing trade with Israel, but questions continue to mount and protests continue.
