The incident occurred during Erdogan’s televised address at a forum on Friday, where the protesters said the government was failing to uphold its pro-Palestinian rhetoric.

They chanted slogans such as “Ships are carrying bombs to Gaza” and “Stop fuelling genocide”.

Erdogan responded sharply.

“My child, don’t become the mouthpiece of Zionists here. No matter how much you try to provoke by acting as their voice, mouth, and eyes, you will not succeed,” he said.

“Zionists around the world know very well where Recep Tayyip Erdogan stands, but it seems you still haven’t understood.”

Police removed the demonstrators from the event, and prosecutors charged them with insulting the president and participating in an illegal demonstration.

The Istanbul chief public prosecutor’s office said the group had coordinated their actions inside and outside the venue and sought their detention pending trial.

The arrests have drawn strong criticism from opposition politicians and rights advocates. Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel denounced the detentions as a blow to democracy.

“The decision to arrest nine young people who protested Erdogan proves the grave situation our country’s democracy has fallen into,” Ozel said.

“These young people were exercising their right to free expression and should be released immediately.”