Nine pro-Palestinian activists, recently held in pretrial detention for several days for protesting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over Turkey’s alleged ongoing trade with Israel, face up to three years in prison, the İhlas News Agency (İHA) reported on Friday.
The activists, who had interrupted Erdoğan’s November 29 speech at the TRT World Forum in İstanbul, accusing the president of hypocrisy for allegedly facilitating crude oil shipments to Israel despite Turkey’s public stance against Israeli military actions in Gaza, were detained and subsequently arrested by a court on December 2. They were released on December 6 after their lawyers filed an appeal contesting the arrests.
In an indictment accepted by the İstanbul 8th Criminal Court of First Instance, prosecutors seek sentences of between six months and three years for suspects Cemile Akça, Çile Uğur, Emre Tekinkaya, Fadime Merve Erdem, Fatma Dilara Gezmişoğlu, Gülşah Eldemir, Mücahit Özel, Mürüvvet Sena Eliküçük and Şeyma Yıldırım. They are charged with “participating in unlawful meetings and demonstrations and refusing to disperse despite warnings.”
The trial’s first hearing will be held on March 27, according to İHA.
The activists’ arrests follow increasing scrutiny of Turkey’s trade relations with Israel. Reports have revealed continued shipments of crude oil from Turkey’s Ceyhan port to Israel, despite a trade embargo announced in May. Investigations by advocacy groups such as Stop Fueling Genocide have tracked oil tankers reportedly rerouting shipments to Israel through intermediary destinations.
Critics argue that Erdoğan’s government is contradicting its pro-Palestinian rhetoric with policies that enable Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Activists have also accused Azerbaijani oil company SOCAR of playing a key role in facilitating these transactions.
The protest during Erdoğan’s speech reflects growing frustration among activists who view the government’s response to the Gaza crisis as performative. The nine protesters reportedly criticized Erdoğan for failing to take meaningful action to stop trade with Israel while making symbolic gestures of support for Palestine.
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza following a Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 that resulted in the death of 1,206 people and the taking of some 250 hostages.
According to the health ministry in Gaza, more than 44,800 people have been killed in Gaza since then, mostly civilians. The UN has said the figures are reliable.
A report released by Amnesty International on December 5 concludes that Israel’s actions in Gaza qualify as genocide.