ALWAGHT- Turkish citizens have taken to the streets of Izmir to protest the docking of a US warship, showing solidarity with Palestinians and voicing their opposition to the US's full military support for Israel amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
On Monday night, Turkish political groups gathered at the entrance of Izmir port to protest the docking of the USS Wasp, one of the US warships sent to support Israel. Waving Palestinian flags, protesters held banners reading, "Our country’s ports cannot be supply and logistics points for murderers" and "We do not want the US ship that brings war and death to Palestine in Izmir."
Chanting slogans like "Down with Israel," "Down with NATO," and "Down with USA," they demanded the immediate departure of the American ship from Izmir's port, while honoring the memory of Palestinians killed in Israel’s US-backed war in Gaza.
The USS Wasp, carrying nearly 1,500 US soldiers, anchored at Izmir port on Sunday after conducting joint naval exercises with the Turkish Navy in August. The vessel, along with the USS Oak Hill and the USS New York, has been stationed in the region since June as part of deterrence efforts against potential threats to Israel amid rising tensions.
Protesters issued a stern warning to the Izmir Governorship, stating they would not leave the port until the ship departs. They condemned the United States for its role in causing suffering and violence in Iraq, Syria, the West Asia region, and beyond.
"It has been almost a year. Israel is carrying out a brutal massacre in Gaza. By killing tens of thousands of people, Israel is not only committing a grave crime against humanity but is also persistently trying to drag our region into a bloody war,” the protesters declared in their statement.
