Police in Turkey on Sunday (Nov 5) fired tear gas to disperse a pro-Palestinian protest outside a military base housing US forces just hours before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was set to arrive in Ankara. This is Blinken’s first visit to Turkey since the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct 7
According to a report by the news agency AFP, the protest was organised by the IHH humanitarian relief fund outside the Incirlik Air Base in southeastern Turkey.
The police intervened when protesters began to walk toward the base after holding a peaceful rally in Incirlik. Several images on social media showed hundreds of protesters waving Palestinian flags running across a field chased by the police.
Police were seen firing tear gas, and smoke bombs and using water cannons to disperse crowds waving Turkish and Palestinian flags. The protesters toppled barricades and clashed with police. They were also seen hurling plastic chairs, rocks, and other items at police.
There were no injuries or arrests. IHH President Bulent Yildirim addressed crowds in Adana and urged them to refrain from attacking police.
On Friday too, protests were held in Turkey where protesters defaced posters of Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a report by the news agency Reuter said.
In Ankara later on Sunday, Blinken will hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is unlikely to meet Blinken as he would be on a planned tour.
The US Secretary of State earlier met leaders from the Arab world who have been pressing for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. On Saturday, Blinken met the Saudi, Qatari, Emirati, Egyptian, and Jordanian foreign ministers in Amman.
Blinken said all agreed on the need for peace and that the current status quo in Gaza could not hold, but he acknowledged there were differences between Washington and its allies.
He highlighted that a ceasefire now would simply leave Hamas in place, able to regroup and repeat what it did on Oct 7.
(With inputs from agencies)
