Albanian citizen Baki Goxhaj has departed for Turkey on one of the aircraft provided by the Turkish government for the transport of activists detained by Israel. According to sources from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, he is currently on his way to Istanbul, where he will be received by the Albanian consul and then escorted back to Albania.
Turkey became involved in special operations to repatriate humanitarian activists from the “Sumud” flotilla, who had been held in Israel for the past 48 hours after being detained about 450 kilometers off the coast of Gaza on Monday while transporting humanitarian aid.
Three aircraft provided by the Turkish state picked up hundreds of activists from Ramon Airport in Israel and are transporting them to Turkey.
The news was confirmed by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who stated that the operations were launched following what he described as an illegal Israeli intervention against the Global Freedom Flotilla.
“As a result of the illegal intervention against the Global ‘Sumud’ Fleet, we are working together with all relevant institutions to guarantee the safety of our citizens being held and their safe return home. Through the special flights organized today, we plan to bring back to Turkey both our citizens and activists from third countries.
We will continue to protect the rights of our citizens and fulfill our humanitarian responsibility toward civilians in Gaza, while continuing our determined support for the Palestinian people,” he wrote.
Israel detained more than 40 vessels on Monday in international waters near Cyprus and arrested at least 430 activists who were on board, including Albanian activist Baki Goxhaj.
The detention of the activists from the humanitarian flotilla “Sumud” sparked strong international reactions, especially after footage published by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir showed the detained activists.
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