Istanbul – An estimated five million people attended the Democracy and Martyrs’ Rally in Istanbul on Sunday, the Istanbul Police Department said.
The massive gathering of people is believed to be the largest gathering in the history of the modern Turkish republic and possibly any other political rally in the world.
The turnout was so huge that people were packed near the Yenikapi rally stage, the Kennedy Street, Eminonu and Zeytinburnu districts.
Millions of people had flocked to Yenikapi from all districts of Istanbul. Public transport, including the metro system, buses and ferry service was provided free of cost to all people in the city.
Also, the Istanbul municipality delivered five million water bottles and one million food packages for free to the participants. In addition, the municipality also provided the services of 7,000 buses, 203 boats and 10 ferries for participants to attend the event.
There were strict security measures in place during the rally; around 25,000 police personnel had been deployed, while 728 health personnel were also at hand at the square. Helicopters also hovered above the rally as security boats remained on alert; 22 X-Ray machines and 165 gates with metal detectors were in place for security checks.
Source: TRT World