Massive crowds rally in Istanbul in support of Palestinians in Gaza Hundreds of thousands of protesters on Thursday marched through the Turkish city of Istanbul in support of Gaza. Some 520,000 demonstrators gathered at Istanbul’s Galata Bridge on New Year’s Day, Anadolu news agency reported. The report said that the demonstration was held with the participation of more than 400 civil society organisations led by the Turkish Youth Foundation and was carried out under the slogan, “We won’t cower, we won’t keep quiet, we won’t forget Palestine.” Before the event, citizens convened before dawn prayers at major mosques across Istanbul, including Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Sultanahmet, Fatih, Suleymaniye and Eminonu New Mosque, Anadolu reported. The march was organised under the umbrella of the Humanity Alliance and the National Will Platform. Aerial picture shows thousands of people demonstrating their solidarity with the Palestinian people at the Galata Bridge in Istanbul on January 1, 2026. Yasin AKGUL / AFP