“Put Israel on Trial for War Crimes!”

At a demonstration in Taksim on Saturday, 24 January, human rights activists and political parties of the left called on the Turkish government and parliament to apply sanctions against Israel.

Call for end to cooperation

The demands included a halt to all economic and military cooperation with Israel, as well as a cancellation of military agreements and the training of Israeli war pilots in Konya, central Turkey.

Journalist and writer Leyla İpekçi read a press statement in which the protesters called for a trial against Israel by an international independent tribunal for war crimes committed during military operations in the Gaza Strip. Istanbul representatives of a movement called “Hunger Strike Chain for Gaza” further called for a lifting of the embargo against the Gaza Strip in a separate press statement.

The activists said that Israel attacked civilians and that the world looked on without taking any concrete action. They called out slogans such as “[Prime Minister] Tayyip [Erdoğan], don’t talk, cancel agreements instead” and “Tears are not enough, we have to put pressure on parliament.”

Evidence of war crimes

Prof. Richard Falk, special rapporteur to the UN and international legal expert, has made a list of war crimes committed by the Israeli army in the first days of the 22-day attacks.

Other rights organisations later found evidence that white phosphorus bombs had been used as offensive weapons, which counts as a war crime. Israel has only accepted one instance of such use.

Deaths and material damage

Following Israel’s attacks on the Gaza strip, tens of thousands of Palestinians have become homeless. Around 4,000 buildings have been completely destroyed, and 20,000 more are seriously damaged. According to the UN, 400,000 of the 1.5 million Gaza population remain without access to water. Over 1,300 people died in the attacks. (TK/AG)

* The press statement was supported by the Democratic Society Party (DTP), the Revolutionary Socialist Workers’ Party (DSİP), the Say Stop to Racism and Nationalism (DurDe!) initiative, the Labour Party (EMEP), The Socialist Platform for the Oppressed (ESP), the Association for Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the Global Peace and Justice Coalition, the Global Action Group (KEG), the Association for Human Rights and Solidarity with the Oppressed (MAZLUMDER), the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP), the Socialist Party (SP), the Social Democracy Foundation (SODEV), the Turkish Peace Parliament and the Green Party.