Return of the Samud Fleet Activists to Istanbul
A Turkish Airlines plane carrying dozens of Turkish activists and foreign nationals from the Samud Fleet departed yesterday from Ramon Airport in Eilat, Israel, bound for Istanbul. Activists whose exit procedures had been completed boarded this flight. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously announced that, in addition to Turkish citizens, nationals from the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Switzerland, Tunisia, and Jordan would also be on board.
The plane landed at Istanbul Airport at 15:50. In total, 137 activists from the Global Samud Fleet, including 36 Turkish citizens and 23 Malaysians, were transported on this flight. Upon arrival, the activists were welcomed in the VIP lounge of Istanbul Airport by officials and members of the public.
In a statement, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Turkish citizens and a number of international activists had safely returned to the country on a special flight. At Istanbul Airport, Deputy Foreign Minister and Ambassador Musa Kulaklıkaya welcomed them. Kulaklıkaya emphasized that Turkey is determined to protect the security of its citizens in every corner of the world.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also wrote in a message on social media: “Brave people who became the voice of humanity’s conscience stood against oppression with their will and courage, and through their struggle in the name of justice and human values, they became the voice of the oppressed. Welcome back!” He also added that efforts to repatriate other Turkish citizens would continue in the shortest possible time.
The Global Samud Fleet had set out with the aim of breaking the blockade of Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid to the region, but it was attacked by Israeli forces in international waters, and its activists were detained.
