Türkiye slams Israel's refusal to allow Gaza-bound aid ship to dock as 'heinous act'

ISTANBUL

Türkiye on Monday condemned Israel's refusal to allow the Gaza-bound aid ship Madleen to dock, saying Tel Aviv's action against the Freedom Flotilla Coalition "while it was in international waters is a clear violation of international law."

"This heinous act by the Netanyahu government, which threatens the freedom of navigation and maritime security, once again demonstrates that Israel is acting as a terror state," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The international community's "rightful" response "against the genocidal policies of Israel, which uses hunger as a weapon in Gaza and prevents the delivery of humanitarian aid," will persist, the ministry highlighted.

It is an "aggressive and unlawful" conduct by Israel against those who defend human dignity and universal principles, it added.

Communications director calls for end to brutality

Reiterating Türkiye's condemnation of the attack, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said on X that the Israeli government "has shown once again that it cannot tolerate even basic humanitarian aid reaching Gaza."

With its ongoing assaults on Gaza, including civilians, women, and children, the Israeli government has become a "mixer that threatens regional peace and puts global security at risk," Altun stated.

"Any attitude that ignores this reality, remains silent or unresponsive means being complicit in this crime," he noted, reiterating Türkiye's call for an end to the brutality and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the establishment of a just peace in the region.

"We call on the international community and the entire humanity to listen to this cry and take concrete steps," Altun added.

'A terrorist operation'

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus also condemned the attack on X, calling it "a terrorist operation," and stating that the attack in international waters is not only an attack on "international humanitarian mission but also on the human dignity."

"We declare once again that we stand by Gaza, Madleen, justice, peace and human dignity," Kurtulmus added, calling on the international community to raise voices against "this clear injustice, to defend human values ​​and to stand by Madleen."

The Israeli government’s ongoing assaults on Gaza, including civilians, women, and children, threaten regional peace and global security.

Earlier, Israeli soldiers kidnapped 12 people on board the Madleen, including 11 activists and one journalist, said the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international NGO, which organized the mission.

Among them are Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg; French-Palestinian Member of the European Parliament Rima Hassan; Yasemin Acar from Germany; Baptiste Andre, Pascal Maurieras, Yanis Mhamdi, and Reva Viard from France; Thiago Avila from Brazil; Suayb Ordu from Türkiye; Sergio Toribio from Spain; Marco van Rennes from the Netherlands; and Omar Faiad, a journalist with Al Jazeera Mubasher, also from France.