Türkiye slams 'heinous attack' as Israel diverts Gaza-bound aid boat
ANKARA
Türkiye slammed Israel for intercepting a Gaza-bound boat carrying activists including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg early on June 9, describing it as a "heinous attack.”
"The intervention by Israeli forces on the 'Madleen' ship.. while sailing in international waters is a clear violation of international law," it said.
The Madleen left Italy on June 1 to raise awareness over food shortages in Gaza. In a statement, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said Israeli troops "forcibly intercepted" the vessel in international waters at 01:02 GMT as it was approaching the Gaza Strip.
"This heinous act by the Netanyahu government, which threatens the freedom of navigation and maritime security, once again demonstrates that Israel is acting as a terror state," Ankara said in a statement.
Turkish diplomatic sources announced that Ankara is "closely" following the situation of its citizens on board the Gaza-bound aid ship Madleen.
According to the Freedom Flotilla's website, the boat is carrying 12 people from seven countries, including Şuayb Ordu from Türkiye and Yasemin Acar, a German citizen of Turkish origin.
Türkiye’s ruling party Justice and Development Party strongly condemned the Israel’s act on the boat.
“The whole world must cooperate to bring those who ordered and carried out this attack to justice,” AKP spokesperson Ömer Çelik wrote on X.
The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo, including baby formula, food and medical supplies, confiscated,” it said in a statement. It said the ship was seized in international waters some 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Gaza.
Israel's Foreign Ministry portrayed the voyage as a public relations stunt, saying in a post on X that "the ‘selfie yacht’ of the ‘celebrities’ is safely making its way to the shores of Israel.”
It said the activists would return to their home countries and the aid would be sent to Gaza through established channels. It circulated footage of what appeared to be Israeli military personnel handing out sandwiches and water to the activists, who were wearing orange life vests.
Footage from the group shows the activists with their hands up as Israeli forces boarded the vessel, with one of them saying nobody was injured prior to the interception.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered that detained activists be forced to watch a 43-minute uncensored video of Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack.
“I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible," Thunberg said in a pre-recorded message released after the ship was halted.
Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament who is of Palestinian descent, was also among the volunteers on board. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians.
France said it would work to ensure the rapid return home of French citizens aboard a boat carrying aid bound for Gaza that was intercepted by Israeli security forces.
President Emmanuel Macron has requested that the six French nationals aboard the Madleen "be allowed to return to France as soon as possible,” a presidential official said.
In May, another Freedom Flotilla ship, the Conscience, reported it was struck by drones in an attack the group blamed on Israel. In 2010, a commando raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, which was part of a similar attempt to breach Israel's naval blockade, left 10 civilians dead.