Turkish Police Use Tear Gas and Water Cannon to Disperse Pro-Palestinian Protesters at US Troops’ Base
Adana, Turkey: Turkish police took action against hundreds of people participating in a pro-Palestinian rally on Sunday as they attempted to storm an air base housing U.S. troops. This incident occurred just hours before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s scheduled arrival in Ankara for discussions on the Gaza situation.
Turkey, which has been increasingly critical of Israel amidst the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, supports a two-state solution and provides shelter to members of Hamas, the Palestinian group. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict, protests have erupted across the country.
The IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, an Islamist Turkish aid agency, organized a convoy earlier this week to travel to the Incirlik air base in the southern Turkish province of Adana. The purpose of the convoy was to protest Israeli attacks on Gaza and U.S. support for Israel. Incirlik air base has been utilized to support the international coalition’s efforts against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, and it also houses U.S. troops. The IHH’s protest demanded the closure of Incirlik.
Videos from the protests show the police using tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, who were waving Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanting slogans. Protesters toppled barricades and clashed with police wearing riot gear.
The footage also depicts protesters throwing plastic chairs, rocks, and various objects at the police, who responded by firing smoke bombs. Scuffles broke out between the crowds and security forces.
Addressing the crowds in Adana, IHH President Bulent Yildirim urged them to refrain from attacking the police, stating, “Our rage is immense. We cannot contain it. But Turkey is doing everything it can.” Due to the clashes with the police, the IHH ended the rally earlier than planned.
This rally took place just hours before Blinken’s visit to Ankara, where he is expected to discuss the Gaza situation with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Monday. Ankara has repeatedly criticized the West for its support of Israel.
(Note: This article has been published from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by NDTV staff, except for the headline.)
