A group of Turkish women hold a sit-in protest in Istanbul in solidarity with Palestine as outcry persists across Türkiye over Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza in Istanbul for the 13th day.

The women, with Turkish and Palestinian flags, carried placards in Turkish, English, Arabic and Hebrew and chanted slogans condemning Israel’s brutal bombing of the Gaza Strip for over a month now.

The protest, organized by the Solidarity with Palestinian Women Initiative and backed by a total of 74 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), will last a total of 15 days at the historic Sultanahmet Square.

Israeli aggression on the blockaded city, retaliating to an unprecedented Hamas incursion on Oct. 7, with indiscriminate bombing of homes, hospitals, schools, mosques, churches and refugee camps, killed over 11,100 Palestinians since then, including more than 8,000 children and women. The Israeli death toll, in comparison, is around 1,200, according to official figures.

As she took over the watch on Sunday, Habibe Keleş, the head of the Housewives Culture and Solidarity Association (EVKAD), said the group was striving to "be the voice of Palestinian people, women and children even if they are unable to ease their pain."

"Many foreign nationals we witness share this pain," Keleş said, referring to the daily influx of tourists to the landmark. "This pain belongs to us all. We cannot bear seeing children, women (die) but this doesn’t weaken us. We stand with them even if words die in our throat."

The group vows to spread the Palestinian cause to the world on behalf of humanity, Keleş said.

"We are here to represent the Palestinian resistance," one EVKAD member, Ayşenur Atlı, quipped, while another, Nigar Başar, talked about empathizing with Palestinian mothers when she watched a video of a 3-year-old toddler trembling during airstrikes in Gaza.

"I have a 5-year-old son with Down syndrome. I remember these videos whenever I hold him in my arms, thinking if that child’s mother was martyred, she also would want someone to protect her children," Başar explained.

"Even if we cannot reach Palestine physically, our prayers do. We are here to make our voice heard, to declare people must not stay silent in the face of this atrocity," she said.

March for Palestine

Elsewhere in Istanbul and the rest of Türkiye, outcry continued to spread among people taking to the streets to condemn Israel and call for an end to the attacks on Gaza.

On Sunday, members of the Palestine Initiative bearing flags of Palestine and Türkiye marched from the Edirnekapı district to Sultanahmet Square, chanting "Killer Israel, Get out of Palestine" and "Greetings to Hamas, Go Resistance."

The group also protested certain restaurants for their alleged support of Israel. There has been both a nationwide and global campaign to boycott Israeli goods.

In the Turkish capital Ankara, hundreds gathered on the grounds of Melike Hatun Mosque and formed a "human chain" to condemn Israeli attacks and support Gaza.

Many waved placards that read "Baby killer Israel," "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," and "Stop the children’s massacre."

The group also called on the international and national community not to stay silent against what is happening in Gaza.

Similarly, mobilized by the Palestine Initiative, thousands of more protesters assembled to forge a "human chain" extending 7 kilometers (4.35 miles) in the northern Kocaeli province.

Waving Palestinian flags and keffiyehs, protestors shouted support for the resistance in Gaza.

"There is a grave humanitarian plight unfolding in Gaza right now. We are here to declare we stand with the Palestinians against tyranny," Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tahir Büyükakın told reporters.

The mayor argued against the idea that protests wouldn’t yield results.

"We are glad to see public outcry is spreading around the world," Büyükakın pointed out. "Many people are starting to raise their voices in their own countries, which must not stop. We have to keep reminding until Palestine achieves its 1967 borders."

The fight must continue until Israel withdraws to those borders, the mayor said.

Protestors were resolute in declaring Türkiye’s support for Palestine in the central Konya province, as well.

Hundreds denounced Israeli attacks that "turned into genocide in Gaza" since Oct. 7.

"As people who haven’t lost their humanity, we are taking a stance under the Palestine Initiative in order to say ‘stop’ to the genocide in Gaza," the group's spokesperson said.