137 activists arrive in Turkey after 'Israel' hijacked Sumud Flotilla
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The Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising roughly 45 vessels, set sail last month with the aim of breaking the blockade on Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid.
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People march toward the Israeli consulate during a protest against the hijacking of the Gaza-bound Sumud flotilla by Israeli navy forces, in Istanbul, Thursday, Oct 2, 2025 (AP)
A group of 137 international activists, including 36 Turkish citizens and participants from 12 other countries, arrived in Istanbul on Saturday following their detention by Israeli forces. The activists were aboard the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, which was hijacked by the Israeli navy over the past two days.
The flight, organized as a special repatriation operation, landed in Istanbul at 15:40 local time (12:40 GMT), according to Turkish diplomatic sources. "The plane carrying our citizens and third-country nationals has taken off for Istanbul," the source confirmed.
Turkish officials strongly condemned the hijacking of the flotilla. Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli earlier announced that the government had arranged a special charter flight to repatriate the detained activists. Ankara has described the hijacking as "an act of terrorism" and launched a formal investigation after Turkish nationals were detained by Israeli forces.
Similar flotilla missions attempting to reach Gaza were previously blocked by "Israel" in June and July.
Global response, repatriation details
The passengers on board the Turkish Airlines flight included nationals from the United States, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Switzerland, and Jordan.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed that 26 Italian nationals were on the flight to Istanbul. "A first batch of 26 Italian citizens who were on board the flotilla is about to leave ‘Israel’ on a charter flight," he said on X. Tajani added that these individuals had been transferred to Ramon air base and would depart from Eilat Airport in southern occupied Palestine.
Un primo gruppo di 26 cittadini italiani che erano sulla Flottilla sta per lasciare Israele con un charter.
— Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani) October 4, 2025
Li abbiamo inseriti in un volo della Turkish per Istanbul. Sono già stati trasferiti nella base aerea di Ramon e partiranno da aeroporto di Eilat.
Gli altri 15 italiani…
According to Tajani, an additional 15 Italian activists declined to sign voluntary release forms and will remain in custody until their judicial deportation is processed next week.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising roughly 45 vessels, set sail last month with the aim of breaking the blockade on Gaza and delivering humanitarian aid. It included international activists, among them Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The flotilla made a 10-day stop in Tunisia, where organizers reported that two drone strikes had occurred.
The mission resumed on September 15, continuing its course toward Gaza.
