Activists from Israel’s intercepted Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla arrive in Türkiye

Activists detained following an Israeli interception of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla in the Mediterranean have arrived in Türkiye, officials said.

A Turkish Airlines flight carrying 59 activists from various countries, including 18 Turkish nationals, landed at Istanbul Airport late Friday after departing from the Greek island of Crete.

The flight TK6934 touched down at 9.45 pm local time (1845GMT), where the passengers were received by relatives and officials at the airport’s VIP terminal.

Following the reception, the activists are expected to undergo medical examinations at the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

According to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources, two Turkish nationals who were unable to board the flight due to medical checks are also expected to return to Türkiye on Saturday.

The flight carried 59 activists, including 18 Turkish nationals, as well as citizens of the United States (4), Argentina (5), Australia (2), Bahrain (1), Brazil (2), the United Kingdom (6), the Netherlands (1), Spain (3), Italy (2), Malaysia (10), Mexico (1), Pakistan (1), Chile (1) and New Zealand (2).

The Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla was attacked on Thursday near the Greek island, some 600 nautical miles from its destination, the blockade-ravaged enclave of Gaza.

The flotilla’s first ships, carrying humanitarian aid, left Barcelona on April 12, while the main fleet set sail from the Italian island of Sicily on April 26, aiming to break Israel’s years-long blockade of Gaza.

Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, leaving the territory’s 2.4 million people on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli army launched a brutal two-year offensive on Gaza in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 people, injuring over 172,000, and causing massive destruction across the besieged territory.