18 detained Turkish citizens from Freedom Flotilla Coalition to be repatriated Friday: Official

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry said 18 Turkish citizens detained by Israel aboard ships of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition are expected to return home Friday afternoon on a special flight.

Türkiye also plans to evacuate around 80 activists from other countries on the flight, ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said Thursday in a statement.

Three members of the Turkish parliament who were aboard the flotilla returned to Türkiye on Thursday evening, Keceli added.

The Israeli navy attacked ships of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's Thousand Madleens convoy to Gaza early Wednesday in international waters, roughly 120 nautical miles (222 kilometers) from the enclave.

The convoy set sail after Israeli naval forces attacked and seized more than 40 boats last week that were part of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla and detained over 450 activists on board. Most of them have been deported.

Israel, as the occupying power, has also previously attacked Gaza-bound ships, seized their cargo and deported the activists on board.​​​​​​​

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children, and rendered it uninhabitable.