Thirty-six Turkish nationals and citizens from 12 other countries were expected to arrive in Turkey on Saturday aboard a special flight, following Israel’s interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla and the detention of hundreds of people on board, officials in Ankara said.
“We expect 36 of our nationals on the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels seized by Israeli forces in international waters will return to our country this afternoon via a special flight,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said on X, formerly Twitter. He added that the final number had yet to be confirmed.
Keceli said Turkish authorities were working to complete procedures for the remaining citizens “as soon as possible,” noting that nationals from several other countries would also be on the flight. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry has condemned Israel’s interception of the flotilla as “an act of terrorism” and announced the launch of an investigation after Turkish citizens were detained by Israeli forces.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of around 45 vessels carrying activists, politicians, and humanitarian workers—including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg—set sail last month with the aim of delivering aid to Gaza, where the United Nations has warned that famine conditions have emerged amid the ongoing war.
The Israeli navy began intercepting the flotilla’s ships on Wednesday, saying the vessels were attempting to enter waters under its blockade of Gaza. The flotilla’s organisers have accused Israel of acting illegally, arguing that the seizures occurred in international waters.
A Turkish diplomatic source confirmed that several foreign nationals, including Italians, were also due to board the Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said 26 Italian citizens were being flown out of Israel after being detained.
“A first batch of 26 Italian citizens who were on board the flotilla is about to leave Israel on a charter flight,” Tajani wrote on X. “They have already been transferred to Ramon air base and will take off from Eilat Airport.”
He added that another 15 Italian nationals who declined to sign voluntary release forms would remain in Israel pending judicial expulsion next week.
Israel has blocked several similar flotilla attempts in recent months, including in June and July. The latest incident has further strained relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv, with Turkey demanding the immediate release of its citizens and condemning Israel’s actions as violations of international law.
