Thousands Protested Against Troops to Lebanon

Despite the hot weather, about ten thousand protesters marched yesterday in Kadikoy.

Groups of demonstrators shouted against the United States, Israeli and Turkish governments' policies in the Middle East, condemning them as imperialist and capitalist.

Yunus Ozturk of the organization committee said that Israel had violated the ceasefire on Saturday.

He remarked that "the US and the imperialist states in Europe don't care about the dead civilians in Lebanon; they're merely the representatives of global monopolies, trying to secure their interests in the region".

Ozturk assereted that the UN's apathy during the crises proved that it's no longer an independent, objective body.

He insisted that the UN peace keeping force to be deployed on the border between Israel and Lebanon is an occupying force and Turkey should not be involved in it.

"The Israeli offensive in Lebanon and Palestine are all part of the US' Great Middle East Project" said Mehmet Soganci of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB).

"Now is the time for another world where world's peoples can stand side by side against the global war of the global capital" he added.

Ismail Hakki Tombul of the Federation of Public Workers' Unions (KESK) noted that this is one of the bloodiest periods in history.

He warned that Turkey would be dragged in to the mud by sending troops to Lebanon: "We don't want to be a part in this unjustifiable war".

More than 30 groups, NGO's and political parties gave support to the demonstration.(KÖ/EÜ)