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Galatasaray player dedicates equaliser against ManU to Palestinian children

"You (Palestinian children) are always in our hearts. We haven't forgotten you, we never will," says Kerem Akturkoglu.

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Man Utd, who needed a win in Istanbul, stayed at the bottom of Group A with four points. / Photo: AA

Galatasaray's Kerem Akturkoglu, who scored the equaliser against Manchester United in week five of the UEFA Champions League, has dedicated his goal to the children hit by the Israeli war on Palestinians.

Galatasaray staged a comeback in a 3-3 draw on Wednesday as Akturkoglu, a Galatasaray wing-forward since 2020, came off the bench to notch his club's third goal with a ferocious right-footed strike in the 71st minute to level the showdown in Istanbul.

"I dedicate this goal to all the children in Palestine who deserve a future filled with hope and peace," the 25-year-old football player said on X.

"Your courage and resilience inspire me on the field. You are always in our hearts. We haven't forgotten you, we never will," the Galatasaray and Türkiye regular added.

Erikten Hag's Man Utd, who needed a win in Istanbul, stayed at the bottom of Group A with four points. Copenhagen and Galatasaray are on five points each before the final matchday in December.

Bayern Munich won the group as they have 13 points in five matches. Copenhagen, Galatasaray and Man Utd are battling for the runners-up position.

Europe’s pro-Palestine football crackdown fails to deter solidarity protests

Over 15,000 Palestinians dead

Akturkoglu's show of solidarity comes as footballers and fans alike face backlash for displaying pro-Palestinian sentiments.

Last week, the UEFA announced that Scottish team Celtic were fined $19,000 after their fans waved Palestinian flags during their Champions League match against Atletico Madrid on October 25.

The flags, which numbered in the hundreds, were deemed to be "provocative messages of an offensive nature", UEFA said in a statement.

Israel launched a massive military campaign against Palestinians in Gaza following a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7.

It has since killed over 15,000 people, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave. The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.

Thursday morning, Israel and Hamas agreed to extend the humanitarian pause in Gaza for another day to continue releasing hostages.

The humanitarian pause was set to end on Thursday morning. Since the initial pause began last week, 66 Israeli prisoners have been released over the course of six days in exchange for 210 Palestinians.