Police detained five people, including three women, outside the Presidential Complex as they attempted to deliver a letter to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan outlining demands related to Palestine. All were reported to be members of the Rainbow Association and the March for Palestine Platform.
The detentions came on the same day thousands marched from Beyazıt Square to Hagia Sophia in Istanbul at the call of the Platform for Support for Palestine. Fifteen civil society groups known for their closeness to the government and various religious orders joined the march, which was led by Bilal Erdoğan, the president’s son.
Shortly beforehand, police intervened against civil society groups allied with the opposition CHP, who sought to hold a similar demonstration on Istiklal Avenue. The contrasting responses fueled criticism that even pro-Palestinian protests are monopolized by government-aligned organizations.
