Hundreds of Turkish citizens in 500-vehicle convoy head to Iran border

A convoy of hundreds of Turkish citizens in more than 500 vehicles has travelled to the Gurbulak border crossing with Iran in a show of solidarity with the Iranian people, as activists called for the formation of a "resistance media" stretching from Turkey to Iran.

The symbolic procession set off from the Turkish city of Igdir towards the Bazargan border, with participants carrying flags and chanting slogans in support of friendly ties between the two nations, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported on Wednesday.

At the conclusion of the event, 72 Turkish nationals crossed the border into Iran, where they were seen off by other members of the convoy. The gatherings follow similar acts of popular support for Iran in recent days across eastern Turkish provinces.

In a related development, a group of Turkish media and civil society activists joined a gathering in Tabriz's central Sa’at (Time) Square, expressing support for Iran's resistance against the "Zionist American enemy."

The activists also held a meeting with Iranian media figures in Tabriz, where participants called for the establishment of a "resistance media" network spanning from Iran to Turkey.

"We are not Iranian, but we are all from one nation," said Nurettin Sirin, director of Turkey-based Quds TV network, speaking at the Tabriz gathering.

"The war is not a war in Iran but a war against Muslims and the oppressed of the world. Muslims in Turkey and Iran are on the same front against America and the Zionist regime."

Sirin said he and other media figures had met with martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on several occasions. He added that following the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, his successor, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, is now the leader of the nation.

"Our media is not the media of a city or country, but a consolidated media of all Muslims and the oppressed of the world and the resistance front," Sirin said.

He described Iran as "Madinat al-Muslimeen" (the city of Muslims) and said any conscientious person in the world today stands with Iran.

Mehmet Demirdag, head of a Turkish civil and cultural institution named Vali Asr, said the 72 Turkish nationals who entered Iran had come from different cities and even different religious sects.

He noted that while their original plan had been to be in Iran during the recent war, coordination delays meant they arrived after a ceasefire took hold.

"The people of Iran are a dignified nation," Demirdag said. "When a small war occurred in the Middle East, people in those countries fled to Turkey. But despite being attacked by two powerful military regimes, America and Israel, the Iranian people did not leave their country. Even some Iranians residing in Turkey returned home."

He added: "Iran is a powerful country that did not bow to the great power of America for 45 days, and ultimately victory will be theirs."

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