Turkish PM: Palestinian cause is cause of our nation

By Kubra Chohan

ANKARA

"Palestine cause is the cause of our nation,” said Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Friday.

Speaking at the mass rally held in Istanbul’s Yenikapi fairgrounds to voice support to the Palestinian people Yildirim said: “We call on the whole world from Istanbul to stand next to our Palestinian brothers.

“We invite the whole world to stand up against the cruel, the unjust, and the occupiers,” he said.

Yildirim said that Israel shot bullets on defenseless children, women and youths involved in legitimate and peaceful demonstrations.

"Those who have done this are responsible before history and will definitely pay for it. They have signed on to a grave mistake. The U.S. administration and its president have shared the cruelty by moving its embassy to Jerusalem,” he added.

On Monday, at least 62 Palestinian demonstrators were martyred and hundreds more injured by Israeli troops deployed along the other side of the border.

Monday’s demonstration had coincided with Israel’s 70th anniversary -- an event Palestinians refer to as “the Catastrophe” -- and the relocation of Washington’s Israel embassy to Jerusalem.

Since the Gaza rallies began on March 30, more than 100 Palestinian demonstrators have been martyred by cross-border Israeli army gunfire.

Last week, the Israeli government claimed the ongoing border protests constituted a “state of war” in which international humanitarian law does not apply.