The convoy, displaying Palestinian and Turkish flags, set off from Istanbul's Ataturk Olympic Stadium, bound for the city of Adana, home to the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey.
Organized by the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) with the support of the Prophet’s Lovers Foundation, the event drew hundreds of vehicles on its route, scheduled to pass through Türkiye's capital, Ankara, covering nearly 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).
Additional convoys from other Turkish cities—Kahramanmaras, Kayseri, and Van—were also set to join the movement, converging in Adana. The aim of the demonstrators is to encircle the Incirlik Air Base, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and protesting against the United States' backing of Israel.
The Incirlik Air Base serves as a primary hub for both the US and Turkish air forces, historically utilized for various military missions, including combat missions over Iraq during the Gulf War and airstrikes in Afghanistan. It has also supported the US-led coalition against ISIL (ISIS).
Among the convoy participants, a white bus prominently displayed a banner reading "Freedom Convoy for Palestine." Alongside local pro-Palestine groups and international activists, individuals, including families with children, assembled at a large parking lot before the journey, holding placards with slogans such as "We are all Palestinian" and "You can't be silent."
Turkey, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has strongly criticized Israel's actions, with Erdogan canceling a scheduled visit to Israel, condemning the conflict in Gaza as "inhumane." He labeled Israel as an "occupier" during a recent pro-Palestinian rally.
The IHH, the NGO behind the convoy, was a key organizer of the 2010 "Gaza Freedom Flotilla," an attempt to break Israel's blockade on Gaza by six civilian ships, including the flagship Mavi Marmara. This incident resulted in an Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara, causing tensions between Turkey and Israel that had only recently begun to mend.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has led to significant protests in Türkiye, as the zionist aggression war continues to claim lives of Palestinian people. According to Save the Children, more children have perished in Gaza during this conflict than in all other global conflicts in the past four years. (ILKHA)