Friends of Palestine against Imperialism and Zionism marched to the consulate of Israel in Istanbul, Turkey on 30th of March, the day which Palestinians have been celebrating as Land Day since 1976. Land Day has been one of the symbols of the resistance against Zionist occupation. Friends of Palestine raised the banner of anti-Zionism and anti-imperialism on this historic day, by marching against the common enemies of the peoples of Middle East. Meeting at 15.30 in front of the Zionist consulate in Istanbul, Friends of Palestine read a public statement.
30th of March is also the anniversary of the first Great Return March that took place in Gaza, which then was repeated every week during the past year. While the Friends of Palestine marched in Istanbul, the Palestinian people were organizing demonstrations for the anniversary of this rightful struggle against occupation. Zionist occupation forces attacked the demonstrations in Gaza and West Bank, killing three Palestinians and injuring hundreds according to local sources.
Friends of Palestine saluted the Great Return March, the struggle of Palestinians for the right of return and the Palestinians who lost their lives while defending their lands against occupation while condemning the Zionist attacks on the demonstrations.
Levent Dölek, vice chairman of DIP (Revolutionary Workers Party), gave a speech during the event. He said: “Palestinian people’s struggle for the right of return will be the return of honor and resistance to these lands on which imperialism and Zionism continue their massacres.” Addressing the toiling people of Turkey he pointed out that when US imperialism recognized Jerusalem/al Quds as the capital of Israel the government of AKP in Turkey said a lot of things against this move but also continued trading and diplomacy with the Zionist state.
Talking about the decision of US imperialism to recognize the sovereignty of Israel on the Golan Heights of Syria which has been under occupation for 52 years Dölek said: “US imperialism has set Israel, its watchdog in Middle East, free to attack the peoples of the Middle East, Iran and Syria.”
After the speech by Levent Dölek a comrade read the press statement on behalf of the Friends of Palestine against Imperialism and Zionism. In the statement the Friends of Palestine said: “Today on the Land Day we stand in solidarity with the rightful and legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people. But that is not all that we are doing. Because the struggle for Palestine is not only the struggle of the Palestinian people. As long as the Zionist state exists and as long as US imperialism stays in the Middle East peoples of the region won’t be able to breathe a sigh of relief. It is our duty to struggle against imperialism and Zionism, our common enemies! This is what it means to be a friend of Palestine!”
The Friends of Palestine demanded Turkey to get out of NATO, to close all imperialist bases in the country, to cut all economic, military, diplomatic, cultural and academic ties with Zionist Israel and the expulsion of the Zionist ambassador.
The event ended as the Friends of Palestine chanted “Bring down the Zionist state of Israel!”, “Down with US imperialism!”, “From river to the sea Palestine shall be free!”.
