Ankara, MINA – The Turkish Red Crescent on Monday delivered food and medical supplies to the Global Sumud Flotilla, which is sailing toward Gaza with humanitarian aid.
The supplies were handed over to vessels carrying around 50 crew members as the flotilla continued its journey across the Mediterranean, navigating between Crete, Cyprus, and Egypt, Anadolu Agency reported.
Earlier the same day, Turkiye coordinated the evacuation of passengers from the Johnny M after the vessel began taking on water.
French captain Bernard Pierre Laguna, who issued a distress call by radio, said he hoped the rest of the flotilla would arrive safely in Gaza.
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“Water started pulling the ship down. We lost control, and everyone on board had to be evacuated. I am the captain, and there were 12 people with me. We moved everyone to a safe ship. After this, I just want to go home to Marseille. I did everything I could to reach Gaza, but it was impossible—we almost lost the ship. I will return now. I hope everything goes well for those still heading to Gaza, that they remain safe,” Laguna told Anadolu.
Yasemin Acar, one of the activists aboard the flotilla, said their only goal was to reach Gaza despite repeated challenges.
“The weather is bad. We’ve been bombed and stopped multiple times, but our determination is strong. We’re here because we know Gaza needs this, and we won’t give up. We will keep moving forward. Right now, there are more than 40 ships and hundreds of activists from around the world. Full speed ahead to Gaza,” she said.
Acar noted that they had about three days left to reach Gaza while facing ongoing threats from Israel along the way.
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“Why does Israel want to stop this flotilla? We’re carrying humanitarian aid, not weapons. We pose no threat—Israel is the real danger, not just to Gaza but to the world. They are afraid because they see people mobilizing globally,” she added.
Turkish Red Crescent teams, together with other authorities, also coordinated the evacuation of passengers from the stricken vessel, including nationals from Luxembourg, France, Finland, Mexico, and Malaysia.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, composed of dozens of vessels, has been sailing toward Gaza for days. It carries a significant amount of humanitarian aid, especially medical supplies, and is the largest flotilla ever to head for Gaza.
The term Sumud, meaning “steadfastness” or “unyielding determination” in Arabic, gained prominence among Palestinians after the 1967 Arab–Israeli war (Six-Day War). It reflects the Palestinian struggle to resist occupation, remain on their land, preserve their identity and culture, and pursue nonviolent civil resistance.[]
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