Turkish university students staged rallies to protest Israel’s attacks against the Gaza Strip and to show support for pro-Palestinian rallies on college campuses in the United States.

A group of students gathered at Ege University in the western Izmir province as part of a rally organised by the youth branch of the ruling Justice and Development Party, local media reports.

In a statement on behalf of the group, Kadir Gulhan, one of the protesting students, said that the anti-Israel demonstrations of university students in the U.S. sparked a worldwide uprising.

“We sincerely thank all of our brothers and sisters who have supported this humanitarian stance, which has spread to dozens of campuses across the U.S. The support was given to us even at the cost of cancelling classes, facing disciplinary action, and being arrested,” Mr Gulhan said.

At Istanbul Medipol University, students also gathered on the campus, holding Turkish and Palestinian flags and banners, to show solidarity for people in war-stricken Gaza.

Eren Sadikoglu, one of the protesters, said Israel “systematically massacred” not only the people in Palestine but all human principles and values.

Also, on Thursday, Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University’s students gathered at the Mosque on the campus after the noon prayer.

They carried banners and placards in Turkish and English, chanting anti-Israel slogans.

In the past week, similar rallies were held by university students across the country, the report said.

(Xinhua/NAN)