Faruk Hanedar
21 May 2026•Update: 21 May 2026
Activists from the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, who were illegally detained by Israel after attacks on their vessels in international waters, are being flown to Türkiye on Turkish Airlines flights Thursday.
The activists were transferred from Ketziot Prison in the Negev desert to Ramon Airport in southern Israel, where deportation procedures were completed, sources told Anadolu.
More than 420 activists, including 78 Turkish nationals, were then boarded onto three separate Turkish Airlines aircraft at Ramon Airport.
The first plane carrying activists departed for Istanbul following procedures coordinated by Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry, while the remaining flights are also expected to arrive in the Turkish city later Thursday.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that the flotilla activists have been deported from Israel, alleging it “will not permit any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza.”
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said earlier Thursday that a special flight had been planned to bring Turkish citizens and participants from third countries involved in the Global Sumud Flotilla back to Türkiye.
The Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla said Tuesday that all 50 vessels in its convoy had been seized by Israel following attacks in international waters.
The flotilla, carrying 428 people from 44 countries, departed last Thursday from the Turkish district of Marmaris in a new attempt to break the illegal Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007.
