2024 Beyoğlu protests

2024 pro-Palestine protests in Turkey

2024 Beyoğlu protests

Part of the Israel–Hamas war protests
Date| 7 April 2024
Location|

Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Turkey

Caused by|

* Erdoğan making pro-Palestine statements while continuing Turkish-Israeli trade and relations throughout the war

Goals|

* Severance of Turkey-Israel relations
* End of Turkish-Israeli trade
* Sending aid to Gaza

Methods| Demonstrations
Resulted in| Protests quelled
Parties

* Protestors
* A Thousand Youths for Palestine Initiative
* Unaffiliated protestors

* Government of Turkey
* Istanbul Police
* Ministry of the Interior

|

Lead figures

No centralized leadership

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Ali Yerlikaya

Casualties
Arrested| 5
Detained| 43

The 2024 Beyoğlu protests were a series of civil disobedience in Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Turkey.

## Protests[edit]

On 7 April 2024, a group by the name of "A Thousand Youths for Palestine Initiative" organised protests in Beyoğlu against Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party due to their continued trade and relations with Israel despite making many statements in support of Palestine, in which Turkish trade with Israel had actually increased after the Israel–Hamas war.[1] A month earlier, the group had also disrupted an Erdoğan rally in Ankara with the same demands.[2] The protestors gathered on İstiklal Avenue, near Galatasaray High School, where police quickly attempted to disperse the protest, in which 43 people were detained, and 5 of them were kept and tried.[3]

Heavy police brutality was reported, with the protestors being assaulted and extreme measures taken to quell the protests. Ali Yerlikaya defended police actions, and claimed that the protestors were warned to disperse but chose not to, however the Thousand Youths for Palestine Initiative claimed that hundreds of police officers were deployed and intercepted the protesters 20 meters away from the place where they had already reserved to make a press statement, and physically and verbally assaulted protestors, even the ones who were already on the floor.[1] Only two police officers were temporarily suspended.[4] The group stated that Turkish police were equal to Israeli soldiers.[5]

## Reactions[edit]

CHP leader Özgür Özel reacted to photos of detained protestors and stated "I watched these images in Istanbul with great sadness. This mistreatment of young people who went to İstiklal Avenue with the slogan 'Stop Trade with Israel'; this is clearly contrary to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and the constitution. Young people in custody should be released immediately. We are closely following the process."[6]

Arab-Turkish politician Tülay Hatimoğulları Oruç of DEM Party described the events as "proof of the crocodile tears shed by the AKP-MHP regime for the oppressed Palestinians! The government, which signed million-dollar agreements with Israel while the genocide continued in Palestine, tortured the young people who called for solidarity with Palestine and for the government to cut off their commercial relations with Israel. All young people in solidarity with the oppressed Palestinians should be left immediately."[7]

Felicity Party leader Temel Karamollaoğlu stated "I congratulate each of our young people who protested the trade against Israel separately. Trade with Israel is cruelty to the oppressed from Gaza, it is even greater cruelty to offensively detain and torture those who protest trade. Trade with Israel is a betrayal of Palestine. Period."[8]

## See also[edit]

2024 Gazi University protests

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Turkish police batter, detain protestors criticizing trade with Israel". www.duvarenglish.com. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
2. ^ "Erdoğan mitinginde 'İsrail ile ticareti kes' protestosu « PolitikYol.com | Yorum, Analiz, Haber Sitesi" (in Turkish). 2024-03-23. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
3. ^ "İstanbul'da düzenlenen İsrail protestosuyla ilgili iki emniyet görevlisi açığa alındı". BBC News Türkçe (in Turkish). 2024-04-07. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
4. ^ Sozcu.com.tr (2024-04-06). "Beyoğlu'ndaki İsrail protestosuyla ilgili 2 polis açığa alındı - Sözcü Gazetesi". www.sozcu.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2024-04-29.
5. ^ "Beyoğlu'nda İsrail protestosuna katılanlar gözaltına alındı, Özgür Özel yaşananlara tepki gösterdi: Yakından takip ediyoruz". Artı Gerçek (in Turkish). 2024-04-06. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
6. ^ "Beyoğlu'nda İsrail'le ticareti protesto edenlere ters kelepçe gözaltı". Haberler (in Turkish). 2024-04-06. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
7. ^ "Ali Yerlikaya: İsrail protestosuna katılanlara sert müdahale ettiği için 2 polis görevden uzaklaştırıldı". Gazete Emek (in Turkish). Retrieved 2024-04-29.
8. ^ "İstanbul'da İsrail protestosunda polis şiddeti". Haberler (in Turkish). 2024-04-07. Retrieved 2024-04-29.