President Tayyip Erdogan will join on Saturday what is expected to be one of the largest pro-Palestinian rallies since the Israel-Hamas war began, courting his Islamist political base a day ahead of the centenary of Turkey's secular republic.
Turkey has condemned Israeli civilian deaths caused by Hamas's Oct. 7 rampage through southern Israel, but Erdogan this weekHe also criticised some Western nations' unconditional support for Jerusalem, drawing sharp rebukes from Italy and Israel.
Sinan Ulgen, a former Turkish diplomat and director of the Centre for Economic and Foreign Policy Studies, an Istanbul-based think-tank, said Gaza's worsening humanitarian crisis and pressure from political allies had prompted Erdogan to sharpen his rhetoric. The heads of Erdogan-allied nationalist and Islamist parties - which helped him secure victory in tight May elections - are expected to attend the rally at Istanbul's old airport. Some Turkish media reported several Arab leaders were also invited.This week, Erdogan invited all Turks to attend the rally where he said "only our flag and the Palestine flag will wave". His Islamist-rooted AK Party predicted more than a million people would come.
Erdogan, Turkey's longest-serving leader, and his Islamist-rooted AK Party have eroded support for the Western-facing ideals of Ataturk, who is revered by most Turks. In recent years, Erdogan's portraits have emerged alongside that of Ataturk on government buildings and schools.
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