Global Sumud activists’ return marks victory for ‘humanity’s conscience’: Turkish official

The safe return of activists involved in the Global Sumud Flotilla marked “an important milestone in the struggle carried out on behalf of humanity’s conscience,” Turkish Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said late Thursday.

In a statement shared on the Turkish social media platform NSosyal, Duran said the activists had set out to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and described their return to Türkiye as a significant development.

He condemned “piracy committed in international waters” and the treatment faced by the activists, saying it had become “another shameful episode added to the dark record of the Israeli government, which continues to trample on humanitarian values.”

Despite the incident, Duran said the efforts of activists from different countries to draw international attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza demonstrated that “conscience, solidarity, and human dignity still endure.”

He also credited efforts carried out “under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan” and the “strong resolve demonstrated by all institutions of our state” for playing a decisive role in ensuring the safe return of Turkish citizens.

Duran extended his well wishes to all injured volunteers and said he respectfully saluted “everyone who stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people and upheld a principled stance against oppression.”