This is the troubling moment when supporters of Palestine attempted to forcefully enter a United States military base located in Turkey, which is a member of NATO.
Fights broke out outside the Incirlik Air Base in the city of Adana today. A few hundred people gathered to support Gazans who are being hurt by Israel’s bombings.
A video on social media showed them sprinting on a dirty field while holding flags from Turkey and Palestine.
The protesters broke through barriers and threw plastic chairs and rocks at the Turkish police.
Police officers in protective gear stayed strong, hitting people with their sticks during close fights and using strong water sprays and tear gas against the crowd.
Videos show people running in the opposite way and trying to keep safe from the water blast.
The protest was arranged by a Turkish aid organization called IHH. It took place shortly before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was scheduled to have discussions about the crisis in Gaza in Ankara.
The president of IHH, Bulent Yildirim, spoke to a crowd in Adana and asked them not to harm the police.
“My friends, it is not right to throw rocks or engage in similar actions because it may lead to the police and soldiers going to Gaza to fight. They will go there when the appropriate time comes,” he explained.
We are very angry. We can’t keep it inside.
The IHH stopped the rally earlier than planned because of fights with the police.
Turkey has been criticizing Israel more as the situation in Gaza gets worse. They support the idea of two separate states for Israel and Palestine and are hosting members of a group called Hamas, who fight for Palestinian rights.
Since the fighting started about a month ago and as more and more civilians are being killed, people in the country have started protesting.
Last month, he organized a very big gathering in Istanbul and claimed that 1. 5 million people were present. He criticized Israel, calling them an ‘occupier’ and accused them of behaving like a ‘war criminal’.
Turkey announced on Saturday that it is calling its ambassador back from Israel for discussions and cutting off communication with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Erdogan blames Netanyahu for the harm caused to civilians and holds him personally responsible.