ANKARA, (PIC)
Three Turkish Airlines planes carrying 422 activists from the “Global Sumud Flotilla” arrived at Istanbul International Airport on Thursday.
The activists were released by Israeli occupation forces after being detained earlier this week in international waters while attempting to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip and deliver vital humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
A delegation of Turkish officials, along with the activists’ families and relatives, welcomed them upon arrival.
Injured activists were immediately transferred by waiting ambulances to receive necessary medical treatment.
The activists are also expected to undergo official medical examinations at the Forensic Medicine Institute as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office into the incident.
Sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry said the evacuation efforts were carried out under full coordination and direct supervision from officials at the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv. The activists reportedly departed through Israel’s Ramon Airport on special flights.
The sources added that 85 Turkish citizens were among those released, alongside hundreds of solidarity activists from various countries.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that state institutions worked intensively to ensure the safety of the detained citizens and activists following what he described as the “illegal intervention” against the flotilla and to secure their safe return.
Israeli forces had attacked dozens of boats forming the “Global Sumud Flotilla” in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea on Monday. The flotilla carried 428 civilian activists from 44 countries.
The incident sparked widespread international condemnation and diplomatic outrage, particularly after videos published by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir circulated online showing the humiliation and abuse of activists. The footage prompted several European countries, including Spain, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, and Belgium, to summon Israeli ambassadors in protest.
