Turkish minister defends Görkem Sevindik after Israeli minister backlash over Palestine post

ALBAWABA - Görkem Sevindik faces backlash but Turkey defends his stance.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy hosted the famous actor Görkem Sevirdik, who was targeted by an Israeli minister for expressing support for Palestinians, at his office. The minister expressed his support for Sevirdik, known for his role as Kadir in Eşref Rüya.

Minister Ersoy stated that they stand by Sevirdik's humanitarian stance.

(The text repeats the same information twice.) The Minister of Culture and Tourism stated, “We stand by the humanitarian stance taken by our esteemed artist Görkem Sevindik,” and added:

“Responding with threats to a call rising from the common conscience of the world is absolutely unacceptable.

This hateful language, which defends the death penalty for Palestinians and targets those who object to it, once again demonstrates to the world the extent of Israel's lawlessness.

Raising our voices against the ongoing oppression in Gaza is a humanitarian duty.

No one with a conscience should remain silent in the face of this mentality that targets the lives of innocents.

We will resolutely continue to stand against lawlessness, oppression, and inhumane practices and to defend the rights, laws, and dignity of the Palestinian people.”

Görkem Sevindik, who plays “Kadir Baba” in the Turkish television series "Eşref Rüya," faces criticism in Israel for a social media post that condemns a recent Israeli law facilitating the execution of Palestinian prisoners.

Following Sevindik’s post, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly targeted the actor.

While on the series set, Sevindik said he opposed such actions on moral grounds.

“As a person with a conscience and as a father, I empathized with the suffering I saw,” Sevindik said. "I stumbled upon a video on social media that depicted individuals sentenced to death being loaded onto a bus." I saw their last looks at their children, their final embraces. I reacted as a human being with a conscience. I opposed such cruelty.”

He emphasized that every morally conscious person should stand against war. “Our series is very popular there. I think I am a well-liked character. My conscience compelled me to speak out, which may have disappointed some fans, but it was a natural human reaction,” he said.

Sevindik reaffirmed his stance on social media: “I stand by my reaction. I oppose oppression everywhere. I believe every person with a conscience should oppose war.”

The controversy arises amid heightened regional tensions, as U.S. and Israeli actions against Iran affect Gulf countries, while Israel continues military operations in Lebanon and enforces harsh measures against Palestinians.

The Israeli parliament, the Knesset, recently approved a law that eases the imposition of the death penalty on Palestinians detained without due process. The legislation leaves thousands of prisoners in West Bank prisons facing execution without recourse to appeals or pardons.

Sevindik’s post urged the public not to remain silent. “If humanity does not rise today, when will it? If we cannot show we are human today, when will we?” he wrote. He also highlighted the scale of the crisis: “The executions of 12,000 Palestinian prisoners have been approved. Four thousand of them are children.”

In response, Ben-Gvir released a video message targeting Sevindik, stating, "Kadir in 'Eşref Rüya.' You will never be Kadir Baba. We live in Israel. You act in a Turkish series. The death penalty for terrorists is now valid.”