Fractured Solidarity: Polarized Pro-Palestine Mobilizations and State Legitimacy in Turkey

In the pro-Palestinian solidarity protests in Turkey, images of large crowds gathered in Istanbul's central squares were widely shared by international media. These squares and bridges, typically unused for other protests, were opened to those wishing to express solidarity with Palestine, often in the presence of state officials and political leaders. However, these rallies did not represent the entirety of the pro-Palestinian movement. Due to Turkey's polarized political and social landscape, various pro-Palestinian groups held separate protests.

While the Turkish left has shown solidarity with the Palestinian liberation movement since the late 1960s, the Islamic movement, which gained prominence in the 1980s, has increasingly dominated the discourse surrounding the Palestinian cause. Following Israel’s genocidal response to the October 7 attacks, two distinct forms of protest emerged: one comprising large-scale, government-sanctioned pro-Palestinian rallies, characterized as legitimate and protected; the other featuring repressed protests by independent Muslim and socialist students, who accused the current government of complicity through direct and indirect trade with Israel, often resulting in detentions.

In Turkey's public spaces and universities, pro-Palestinian protests have evolved into activities that are officially recognized and sanctioned for some, while others face violent repression. This study will explore the polarization and fragmentation of Palestinian solidarity within a national context, focusing on the divide between pro-government and opposition groups through the lenses of social movement theory and political opportunity structures. Additionally, it will examine the evolution of Palestinian solidarity, tracing its roots in the Turkish youth and student movements and highlighting the sharp divisions that have emerged between those aligned with the government and those opposed to it.