Nine protesters were arrested after interrupting a speech last week by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the TRT World Forum in İstanbul, accusing the Turkish government of continuing trade with Israel despite an embargo imposed in May in response to Tel Aviv’s military actions in Gaza.
The incident occurred on Friday during Erdoğan’s televised speech in İstanbul. As the president addressed the audience, protesters accused his administration of hypocrisy, shouting slogans such as “Ships are carrying bombs to Gaza” and “Zionists are continuing their operations in our seas and ports.”
Erdoğan dismissed the accusations, saying, “Do not become the mouthpiece of Zionists here. No matter how much you try to provoke, you will not succeed. Zionists around the world know very well where Tayyip Erdoğan stands.”
Pro Palestinian protesters in Turkey calling Erdogan to end the trade relations with Israel have been arrested!
Nine activists were arrested! That is the stand of Turkish government with Palestine. pic.twitter.com/PsbvzZbL12
— Nur Dogan (@nurdogandiyorki) December 2, 2024
Security forces detained nine individuals, who were later charged with “insulting the president” under the Turkish Penal Code and participating in an unlawful demonstration. The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office referred the protesters to an on-duty criminal court with a request for detention pending trial.
Prosecutors alleged the group acted in coordination, citing their presence both inside and outside the forum venue. The slogans prosecutors considered criminal included “From the river to the sea, free Palestine,” “Stop fueling genocide” and “Why is Azerbaijani oil being sent to Israel?”
The protesters’ actions are part of a broader campaign by activists criticizing Turkey’s continued energy exports to Israel despite the government’s public condemnation of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Trade with Israel under scrutiny
The protest comes amid mounting evidence that crude oil shipments from Turkey’s Ceyhan port to Israel have continued despite Ankara’s May embargo announcement.
A report by the Stop Fueling Genocide campaign, supported by Progressive International, tracked the movement of tankers from Ceyhan to Israel. Using satellite imagery and shipping data, researchers confirmed that a tanker, the Seavigour, loaded Azeri crude oil in Ceyhan on October 28. The vessel turned off its tracking signal in the eastern Mediterranean on October 30, reappearing near Sicily a week later, having reportedly offloaded its cargo. Satellite imagery later showed the Seavigour docking at the EAPC terminal near Ashkelon, Israel, on November 5.
The findings contradict statements by Turkey’s energy minister, who had denied any oil shipments to Israel since the embargo began.
Ceyhan serves as the endpoint of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which transports crude oil from Azerbaijan. This oil accounts for nearly 30 percent of Israel’s crude imports. Reports indicate that Azerbaijan’s oil exports to Israel have quadrupled this year, rising from 523,554 tons in January to 2,372,248 tons in September.
The ongoing trade with Israel has drawn criticism from activists, who argue that crude oil from the BTC pipeline is refined and used to fuel Israeli military equipment. Advocacy groups have called on Turkey to enforce the embargo and align its policies with its stated support for Palestine.
Experts warn that if the International Court of Justice determines Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, those involved in supplying fuel could be found complicit in failing to prevent genocide.
The arrests have sparked outrage among human rights groups and activists. Critics argue that Erdoğan’s government is suppressing dissent while enabling trade that contradicts its pro-Palestinian rhetoric.