Turkish Foreign Ministry has said that 36 Turkish citizens held by Israeli forces aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels in international waters are expected to return to Türkiye this afternoon on a special flight.
“The final number has not yet been determined. We are continuing our efforts to complete the procedures for our remaining citizens as soon as possible so that they can come to Türkiye,” Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman wrote on X on Saturday.
He added that the planned flight will also carry citizens of third countries.
Over 470 activists detained
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, a network of international civil society groups, has organised multiple attempts since 2010 to break the blockade of Gaza and highlight its humanitarian crisis.
Israeli naval forces attacked and seized vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla on Thursday and detained more than 470 activists from over 50 countries.
The flotilla had been attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge Israel’s blockade of the enclave.
Israel has maintained the blockade of Gaza, home to nearly 2.4 million people, for almost 18 years. Since October 2023, Israeli bombardments have killed nearly 66,300 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable, with the blockade also pushing Gaza to famine.
