Turkish star Akturkoglu says ‘Enough is enough’ in bold support for Palestine
Benfica's Turkish star Kerem Akturkoglu ahead of Benfica's match against Atletico Madrid, October 3, 2024. (Photo via Instagram / @keremakturkoglu)
A Turkish football player for Portugal’s Primeira Liga team Benfica expressed solidarity with Palestine on Wednesday as Israel continues its attacks on the Gaza Strip, declaring: “Enough is enough.”
“I am aware that everyone says this is a subject we need to be sensitive about; I hear it. But it’s not just that what I hear… The desperate cry of a nation, the massacre that children and civilians are subjected to,” Turkish star Kerem Akturkoglu wrote on X.
He highlighted the tragic circumstances in which innocent lives are lost, stating, “Sometimes in their houses, sometimes in places of worship, sometimes in hospitals where they wait for help. Many things may have happened throughout history between Israel and Palestine, but what I see now is a nation about to be destroyed.”
His comments come amid reports of frequent attacks on mosques, churches, and hospitals, which are typically protected under international law.
‘This massacre must stop’
The 25-year-old winger emphasized his inability to remain silent regarding the situation in Gaza and called for widespread condemnation of the violence faced by its people. “Is there anyone who will not condemn what I have listed above? After facing such a tragedy, how can we continue our lives as if everything is fine?”
Akturkoglu insisted that the massacre in Gaza must end as soon as possible, asserting: “This massacre must stop; children must live, families must be happy.”
Since transferring to Benfica from Istanbul’s Galatasaray last month, Akturkoglu has made an impact on the pitch, scoring four goals and providing two assists in five matches for the Portuguese club.
Despite a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has persisted in its offensive against Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October. According to local health authorities, more than 42,400 people have been killed, most of them women and children, and over 99,000 have been injured.
The ongoing Israeli assault has displaced nearly the entire population of the Gaza Strip, exacerbating severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine amid an ongoing blockade. Additionally, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
