Turkiye blocks Freedom Flotilla setting sail for Gaza

Turkish authorities have blocked the new Freedom Flotilla, carrying urgent and lifesaving aid to Gaza in an attempt to break Israel’s siege on the Strip, from departing Istanbul, organisers reported.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, comprising multiple humanitarian and pro-Palestinian groups, issued a statement on Saturday announcing that they had been awaiting approval from the Istanbul port authority to set sail.

“It has now become clear that the Turkish government will not grant permission,” the statement said.

The coalition added that the government did not offer “any explanation” for preventing the flotilla to sail, but placed the blame on “intense pressure from the United States, the United Kingdom, and perhaps other NATO countries that are strongly allied with Israel.”

In May 2010, the six-vessel Freedom Flotilla I was intercepted by the Israeli navy, with Israeli commandos boarding the Turkish lead ship, the Mavi Marmara, opening fire and killing nine activists.

According to Al-Monitor, the current flotilla’s efforts have been hindered amid escalating tensions between Turkiye and Israel following the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry last week summoned the deputy Turkish ambassador for reprimand after Turkiye’s embassy in Tel Aviv lowered its flag to half mast in response to the assassination of Haniyeh.

“The State of Israel will not tolerate expressions of mourning for a murderer like Ismail

Haniyeh,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

Haniyeh was killed in Tehran while there to attend the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Israel has not made any official claim of responsibility for his death but Iran and allies including Hamas and Hezbollah have accused Israel of being behind the assassination and vowed revenge.

Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oncu Keceli, responding to Katz’s remarks on social media platform X, said: “You cannot achieve peace by killing negotiators, threatening diplomats,” in an apparent reference to Haniyeh’s killing.

Tensions between Israel and Turkiye have risen sharply since the start of Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza, in which almost 40,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 90,000 have been injured, the vast majority children and women.

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