ISTANBUL

Six Turkish citizens who were on board a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid ship that reportedly came under a drone attack in international waters off Malta returned to Türkiye over the weekend, sources with the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Monday.

The sources said they are all in good health.

Efforts are being carried out in cooperation with Maltese authorities to transfer other Turkish citizens on board to a safe location, the sources added.

The Conscience, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, caught fire after reportedly being struck by drones early Friday while carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Maltese government confirmed the fire was contained with the help of a nearby tugboat and that all 12 crew members and four civilians on board were safe, although they refused to abandon the ship.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli on Friday condemned "in the strongest terms" the attack, which "threatens freedom of navigation and maritime security in international waters."

"There are allegations that the ship was targeted by Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles. All necessary efforts will be made to reveal the details of the attack as soon as possible and to bring the perpetrators to justice," Keceli said.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition blamed Israel for the attack, calling for Israeli ambassadors to be summoned over what it described as violations of international law, including the blockade and bombing of the civilian ship.

The UN Human Rights Office called Saturday for an independent investigation into the attack and renewed its call for Israel to lift its blockade on Gaza, which it said constitutes "collective punishment."

Commenting on the attack, the UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, said she was shocked that political leaders were not denouncing the attack on a civilian ship delivering aid to a starving population.

"EU leaders should condemn this act, demand an urgent investigation & urgent access to the ship, stranded in int'l waters," she said on X.