Activists arrested for protesting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over Turkey’s alleged continued trade with Israel despite an official embargo have sent defiant messages from prison calling for justice and solidarity with Palestine, the Artı Gerçek news website reported.
Nine protesters arrested after interrupting Erdoğan’s speech at the TRT World Forum in İstanbul last week are being held in the city’s Silivri and Metris prisons. Their protest centered on accusations that Turkey is facilitating crude oil shipments and other trade to Israel despite public claims of an embargo imposed in May in response to Israel’s military actions 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.
Investigative journalist Metin Cihan shared the detainees’ statements on social media, amplifying their calls for justice and continued resistance.
Cezaevindeki Filistin dostlarından mektup var.
Sena: Hakikati haykırmaktan onur duyuyoruz.
Cahit: Gayemiz, İsrail'e petrol gönderilmesine engel olmak.
Emre: Siyonizme ve işbirlikçilere karşı mücadelemize devam etmeliyiz.
Şeyma: Dışardaki Filistin destekçilerine güveniyorum.… pic.twitter.com/PPmd4iGZqW
— metin cihan (@metcihan) December 4, 2024
“I am proud to be here for the Palestinian cause,” wrote Şeyma Yıldırım from Silivri Prison. “I trust the supporters of Palestine [who are] outside to continue the fight.”
Another detainee, Sena Eliküçük, a young lawyer also held in Silivri Prison, expressed dismay over the injustice of their imprisonment. “As a lawyer at the beginning of my career, it is shameful to witness justice being so disregarded. We take pride in shouting the truth. I call on my bar association, human rights-respecting lawyers and all friends of Palestine to be our voice.”
From Metris Prison, Emre Tekinkaya urged continued resistance “against Zionism and its allies.”
“Despite lawlessness, threats and all negative accusations, we must fight against Zionism and its collaborators. We must never forget the oppression in Palestine or stop speaking about it,” he wrote.
Cahit, another detainee at Metris Prison, highlighted their goal: “All we wanted was to stop the genocide in Gaza and prevent even a needle from being sent to Israel through our lands. Let it not be forgotten that SOCAR [State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan] is sending oil to Israel through our territory. We wanted to stop this. That was our aim.”
The arrests have drawn criticism, including from Bülent Arınç, a founding member of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and former speaker of parliament. Arınç condemned the decision to detain the protesters, arguing it undermines trust in the justice system.
“These types of actions leave negative marks on societal memory and erode confidence in our justice system,” Arınç wrote on the social media platform X. “Even if there is an alleged crime, there are many judicial control measures that could have been taken rather than detention. Resorting to imprisonment in such a simple case is neither appropriate for criminal justice nor sociology.”
Arınç also emphasized that protests within legal boundaries should be considered normal. “State reasoning must move beyond viewing incidents in isolation and consider their broader societal consequences. While I believe the government’s stance on Palestine is sincere and transparent, dissenting views must be respected and protests should not be met with the threat of punishment.”
The activists disrupted Erdoğan’s speech at the TRT World Forum on November 29, where he was addressing international issues under the theme “A World at Breaking Point: Managing Crises and Transformations.” The protesters accused the government of hypocrisy, shouting slogans such as “Why is Azerbaijani oil being sent to Israel?” and “Stop fueling genocide.”
Their claims are supported by recent investigations showing continued crude oil shipments from Turkey’s Ceyhan port to Israel despite Ankara’s embargo, providing the Turkish state with much needed income. Advocacy groups warn that if the International Court of Justice determines that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, those involved in supplying fuel could be found complicit in failing to prevent genocide.