Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed, in a statement posted on his X social media account, the arrival of the aircraft carrying Turkish nationals and participants from various countries who had been detained by Israeli Occupation forces. Fidan praised the individuals, describing them as having “given a voice to the conscience of humanity, and become the voice of the oppressed through their struggle for justice and human values.” He noted that efforts are continuing to ensure the return of the remaining citizens to their homelands as swiftly as possible.
A Turkish Airlines flight carrying 137 activists from the “Global Flotilla of Steadfastness,” including Libyans, arrived today, Saturday, at Istanbul Airport, following their detention by Israel in international waters. The flight departed from Ramon Airport in Eilat, Israel, and landed in Istanbul at 3:50 PM.
The passengers included activists of multiple nationalities: Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, the United States, the UAE, Italy, Kuwait, Mauritania, Switzerland, and Malaysia, in addition to the Turkish nationals. Officials and a large crowd gathered to greet the activists in the airport’s VIP lounge.
This release is part of the deportation process for activists who were unlawfully detained by the occupation army while attempting to sail to Gaza with over 40 ships to break the siege and deliver humanitarian aid. For its part, the Israeli Occupation Foreign Ministry announced the deportation of 137 people from the “Steadfastness Fleet 15” to Turkey, confirming that it is working to accelerate the deportation of the other activists as soon as possible.
