Turkish citizens and other activists of various nationalities who were on board the Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla vessels seized by Israel in international waters are expected to arrive in Türkiye today via a special flight, Turkish officials said on Friday.
"As a result of an unlawful intervention carried out by Israeli forces against the Global Sumud Fleet in international waters, our citizens and other participants who were detained have disembarked in Crete,” said Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli on X.
"Our Ambassador to Athens and our consular staff are present in Crete. Our citizens and some participants of other nationalities are expected to be brought to Türkiye today on a charter flight," he added.
The Global Sumud Flotilla called on governments to pressure Israel to release detainees from its Gaza-bound mission, saying two activists remain in custody.
In a statement, the group said most participants who had been detained were released in Crete, but two individuals — identified as Thiago and Saif — are still being held.
“We demand that all governments do all they can to pressure the Israeli regime to release all the illegal abductees,” the flotilla said.
On Thursday, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said 175 activists had been detained after more than 20 vessels were seized in international waters while en route to Gaza.
The flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza, aims to break Israel’s blockade and open a humanitarian corridor by sea.
The mission marks the second initiative by the Global Sumud Flotilla, following a previous attempt in September 2025 that ended with an Israeli interception in international waters and the detention of hundreds of international activists.
In October 2023, Israel launched a genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and destroyed about 90 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the United Nations at around $70 billion.
Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza since 2007.
