Istanbul, MINA – A total of 137 Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) activists, including 36 Turkish and 23 Malaysian nationals, finally arrived in Istanbul on a special flight on Saturday after being kidnapped and illegally imprisoned by the Israeli Zionist occupation forces in international waters.
The Turkish Airlines plane carrying the humanitarian activists landed in Istanbul at 12:40 PM local time, having departed from Ramon Airport in Eilat, an area under Israeli occupation. Their arrival was welcomed directly by high-ranking Turkish officials, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
In his statement, Fidan praised the bravery and resolve of the activists. “These brave individuals have taken an honorable stand against oppression, becoming the voice of the oppressed through their struggle for justice and humanitarian values,” Fidan asserted, as reported by TRT on Saturday.
According to Turkish diplomatic sources, in addition to Turkish and Malaysian citizens, the plane also carried citizens from 12 other countries, including the United States, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Switzerland, Tunisia, and Jordan.
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A Turkish activist who spoke to TRT World revealed the cruelty experienced while in detention. “We experienced inhuman treatment by the Israeli authorities. We were not given water for three days and were not even allowed to pray,” he said.
The arrival of these activists marks a new chapter in the Global Sumud Flotilla’s humanitarian struggle. Fidan emphasized that efforts are underway to ensure the speedy return of the Turkish citizens who are still being held. According to data compiled by MINA, the number of Turkish activists who participated in the GSF and were kidnapped by Israel totaled 50 people.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is an international humanitarian fleet aimed at bringing aid and global attention to Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza. A total of 44 ships participated in the mission before 42 of them were hijacked by the Israeli Navy in a 38-hour operation in international waters beginning on Wednesday. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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