Türkiye is preparing a major maritime show of solidarity with Palestine after the Israeli assault on the Global Sumud Flotilla, with boats from all Black Sea provinces set to sail carrying Turkish and Palestinian flags, ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy Hasan Turan said Friday.
Turan, head of the Turkish-Palestinian Interparliamentary Friendship Group and AK Party Istanbul deputy, strongly condemned Israel’s recent attack on the flotilla and said that citizens across the country are mobilizing in response.
Turan told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the attack was expected, stressing that Israel has long acted with impunity.
“Because the state we face is a terrorist state. It has never respected any value. It has massacred babies, children, women and civilians; destroyed mosques, churches, schools, hospitals and entire cities. It has annihilated every value humanity holds dear,” he said.
“Without recognizing law or rules, Israel has acted like a pirate in the Mediterranean. Its history is already stained with darkness. So it was no surprise that they attacked a humanitarian mission, a freedom flotilla. A tyrant does what tyrants do,” he added.
Turan underlined that despite the attack, the flotilla had achieved its purpose.
“Perhaps it did not physically reach its destination, but the caravan of goodness has reached its goal and will continue to do so. If one flotilla is attacked, another will rise. The oppressed will take their rights from the oppressor, and the oppressor will be defeated,” he said.
The AK Party deputy emphasized that Turks will continue raising their voice against injustice, announcing nationwide demonstrations at sea. “In the Black Sea region, boats from all provinces with a coast will set sail. They will carry both Turkish and Palestinian flags. Citizens will rush to the harbors to show solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla, with the hope caravan, and to demonstrate unity with Gaza and the Palestinian people,” he explained.
Turan confirmed that he would personally join boats sailing from Giresun. He also said that on Sunday, Oct. 5, solidarity actions will take place across the country, with vessels setting sail from the Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and Black Sea coasts.
Praising those who joined the flotilla, Turan said they had broken through the perception of Israel’s “invincible walls.”
“They have succeeded in placing this inhumane blockade at the center of global attention. Perhaps one candle cannot light the whole world, but it can help dispel the darkness. We will increase the number of such efforts, we will not stop, and we will continue to resist the oppressor with determination,” he stated.
The demonstrations, according to Turan, will be held under the slogans “A thousand greetings to Gaza from the Black Sea, a thousand greetings to the resistance,” and “Everywhere is Gaza, everywhere is resistance.”
Reaffirming Türkiye’s stance, Turan said: “Under the leadership of our president, our entire state and institutions stand with the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people. The heart of our nation beats in Gaza. We thank all demonstrators who have become the voice of our people’s conscience.”
The lawmaker stressed that the flotilla’s mission resonated far beyond the Mediterranean.
“They pierced through what was thought to be Zionism’s armored wall. Physically, they may not have reached Gaza, but their message reached from Colombia to China, to every corner of the world. These vile, treacherous attacks were condemned by every person who calls themselves human, and once again the 20-year-long inhumane blockade of Gaza has been exposed to the world.”
Organizers said Israeli naval forces attacked 42 vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla since late Wednesday and detained more than 450 activists.
The flotilla, carrying mainly humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail in late August to break Israel's blockade on Gaza. It was the largest attempt in years to reach the enclave, which has been under blockade for nearly 18 years.
Israel further tightened the siege in March, closing all border crossings and blocking food, medicine and aid, pushing Gaza toward famine despite relief trucks piling up at its borders.
The Israeli army has killed over 66,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has left the enclave nearly uninhabitable, with starvation and disease spreading rapidly.
The Turkish public and government are major supporters of the Palestinian cause. Türkiye has been a traditional ally to Palestine, but as the Israeli attacks became more brutal, Ankara has become harsher in its criticism in the past year. It has condemned what it calls genocide, halted all trade with Israel and applied to join the genocide case against Israel at the World Court, which Israel rejects.
Türkiye is closely monitoring the situation of its citizens aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was attacked by Israel, and is taking all necessary steps, diplomatic sources said on Thursday.
While religious holidays in Israel may cause some delays in completing the procedures, the Turkish citizens are expected to be released in the coming days, according to sources.
All necessary precautions are being taken to ensure that the citizens do not face any problems or health issues during this process, they added.
Meanwhile, Türkiye has denied allegations circulating on social media that Turkish commercial vessels were present near the Global Sumud Flotilla while it was under Israeli attack, calling the claims a “perception management operation” aimed at misleading the public.
The Presidency's Directorate of Communications said Thursday that Türkiye fully halted all export, import and transit trade transactions with Israel as of May 2, 2024. “Since that date, no transactions destined for Israel have been registered in customs exit declarations or export declarations,” the statement read.
The measures also ban Israeli-flagged and Israeli-owned or affiliated vessels from entering Turkish ports. Foreign-flagged vessels carrying military cargo bound for Israel are not permitted to dock either. Only vessels carrying aid or trade bound for Palestine, with documentation verified by the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy, are allowed entry under strict checks.
The directorate noted that several Israel-affiliated vessels have already been denied entry to Turkish ports, while Turkish-flagged ships that violated the instructions were subjected to de-flagging procedures.
Regarding the seven vessels mentioned in recent allegations, none were Turkish-flagged, the statement clarified. Four had not loaded any cargo from Turkish ports, one discharged cargo loaded elsewhere without mediating trade with Israel, and two that later proceeded to Haifa in violation of their declarations have been banned from Turkish ports, with legal action underway.
“Such perception management operations are part of a deliberate campaign to cast doubt on Türkiye’s support for Palestine,” the statement said, adding that Türkiye will continue to stand firmly with the Palestinian people.
