A member of the Global Sumud Flotilla entering the marina in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: AP.
By Mohammad Noureddine – Sep 11, 2025
The “Global Sumud Flotilla”, set to break the blockade on Gaza, has sailed from Barcelona and ports in Italy and Tunisia. The convoy includes more than 50 vessels carrying hundreds of activists from over 70 countries. Preparations have been underway for months, but an Israeli drone strike on the second flagship, Alma, in Tunisia yesterday drew international attention to the convoy. This marks the second attack, following the earlier strike on the Conscience vessel while it was en route to Tunisia in Maltese waters.
Yet none of the ships left from Türkiye. Turkish authorities refused permission, forcing over 100 Turkish participants, around a third of the flotilla, to travel to Tunisia, Barcelona, Genoa, and Catania in Italy to join. Past experiences had made it clear that any attempt to request permission from Turkish ports would fail, so no applications were submitted this time. Among the Turkish activists are five parliamentarians, including Sema Silkin Ün and Necmetti̇n Çalışkan, as well as Hüseyin Durmaz, the delegation’s coordinator.
MP Ün stated, “Türkiye does not want the ships to sail from its ports, so we did not submit any request. In the past, we waited days for similar applications and received nothing. This time, we didn’t even try, because we knew the government would refuse.” MP Çalışkan added, “The government’s stance on Gaza is shameful. Trade with Israel continues, and activists face legal action for protesting it. Previous requests to launch ships from Türkiye to break the siege were rejected, and there are no new requests now. Despite society’s opposition to Israel, the government’s refusals are unacceptable.”
He also noted, “Every time the government talks about restricting trade with Israel, ships continue to sail from Türkiye to Israeli ports carrying all kinds of goods.” Hüseyin Durmaz, the delegation’s coordinator, described the flotilla as ‘the largest movement of its kind in human history’, and explained that Türkiye’s refusal stems from fear of Israeli pressure. That is why the decision was made to sail from other ports without even considering Turkish permission.”
Turkish authorities refused permission, forcing over 100 Turkish participants, around a third of the flotilla, to travel to Tunisia, Barcelona, Genoa, and Catania in Italy to join
Meanwhile, Turkish newspapers, including Karar and Milli Gazete, urged the government to ensure the safety of Turkish participants and to warn Israel of any consequences of any attack, especially against Turkish citizens. Ahmet Davutoğlu, head of the Future Party, said, “The Turkish government must respond decisively to any Israeli aggression against the flotilla.” MP Ün added that “we expect Türkiye to coordinate with European countries to prevent attacks on the activists.”
Ibrahim Kiras of Karar pointed out that “massive demonstrations in Western capitals defending Gaza forced governments to scale back official support for Israel. Such protests are rare in the Islamic world, which partly explains its failure to consistently support Gaza.” He added, “Protests in Türkiye have been sparse, small, and often organized government-controlled, with only small groups voicing opposition to the official stance.”
Kiras noted that “apart from Iran and Yemen’s Ansar Allah, Malaysia is the only exception.” In Türkiye, “occasional voices are mostly symbolic, intended to soothe public conscience and curb sympathy for Gaza’s victims. Many believe the US is behind the Gaza atrocities, and Türkiye cannot confront it. However, could countries like Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, which have close ties with the US, at least pressure Trump to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza? Even if they fail, what would they lose by trying? They do not want to provoke Trump.”
He continued: “These may seem like naïve questions, but neither the Gulf states nor Türkiye is willing to act alone. The government’s approach to Gaza is designed to manage public sentiment. Still, watching genocide unfolds daily before our eyes is unbearable for any human being.”
Elif Çakır, also writing in Karar, highlighted the hypocrisy: “Despite Erdoğan’s bold statements against Israel, ships continue to be quietly loaded for Israel. This is exactly the kind of hypocrisy we have long accused the West of.”
