Turkish police detain ten for protesting oil company’s ties with Israel

Duvar English

Turkish police on June 2 raided the homes and detained ten members of the group "A Thousand Youth for Palestine" in dawn operations. 

The group on May 31 protested at the Azerbaijan-based oil company SOCAR’s Istanbul offices, demanding it cut its supplies to Israel via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.

The group splashed red paint at the company entrance, chanting “We will not allow you to support genocide with the resources of these lands!”

In a statement on their social media account the group announced the detainments and requested public support, "It's not enough to say 'Well done,' if we witness it, we must speak out. We call everyone whose heart beats for Palestine to stand in solidarity and join the ranks of the intifada against those who act as lawyers for the Zionists. Supporting Palestine is not a crime, #CollaborationWithIsraelIsACrime."

The group has been calling fora for cutting all ties with Israel since the Israeli government’s attacks on Gaza heightened after Oct. 7. 

They organized numerous impactful actions in Istanbul, and members were tortured and detained by the police for their demonstration on İstiklal Street, which drew significant public attention.

Following heightened public outcry, the Trade Ministry first issued restrictions on, then fully halted all trade with Israel. 

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