By Omer Faruk Cebeci and Ugur Subasi

ISTANBUL

Solidarity demonstrations have strengthened Palestinians during difficult times, a Palestinian scholar said Wednesday.

Speaking at a conference titled “Palestinian Cause from Past to Present” in Sakarya province, Dr. Nawaf Takruri, head of the Council of Palestinian Scholars Abroad, said Jerusalem is an issue concerning all Muslims, not just Palestinians.

Takruri urged people not to be wary of participating in protests.

“If we, Palestinians, had not seen our brothers pouring into the streets for us in other countries, we would sink into despair and fail.”

He said demonstrations provided strength for them, adding, “if we don’t take to the streets, we feel ashamed”.

Pointing to a positive side of recent incidents regarding Palestine, Takruri said the good and the bad, the real and the fake were revealed.

He emphasized that some Arab leaders were describing the Palestinian uprising as “terror” and Israel as an “ally”.

“Those [leaders] were among us before, but these recent incidents revealed their true face.”

Takruri praised Turkey’s role in the whole process, describing it as the “core” of the resistance.

“When we have a basket of lemons, there is not only the core of these lemons in the basket. We also have residuals, the parts we don’t need anymore. When we squeeze lemons and get the core [the juice], we will separate the needed parts from the residuals…Turkey represents this very core.”

Takruri said the Palestinian cause was supported all over the world.

“We were in Malaysia yesterday and Indonesia the previous day. Thousands of people poured into the streets to show their solidarity.

“Arabs believe ‘If we do not back Al-Aqsa [Mosque], this cause will be swept under the rug’. No. Arabs are just 15 percent of the Muslim population. If Arabs do not back it, Muslims will.”

He also praised people in Turkey who flocked to the streets during last year’s July 15 coup attempt.

“Honored people of Turkey took to the streets against oppressors after the coup attempt. That doesn’t only concern Turkey; it is concerned with all Muslims,” he said.