Politics
Turkish Sumud activists recount Israel’s abuse, hail victory for Gaza
The Global Sumud Flotilla completed its journey this week, though Israel claimed to manage to stop them from reaching Gaza, where thousands suffer under Israeli blockade. Activists from Türkiye and around the world arrived in Istanbul on Saturday and recalled abuse and harassment they faced at the hands of the Zionist regime during their illegal detention.
Though the flotilla was unable to deliver the aid it carried to Gazans, activists say they accomplished what they intended to, to demonstrate that the Israeli blockade can be broken if more people stand up for Palestinians.
A plane carrying activists from the aid flotilla landed Saturday at the Istanbul Airport.
Around 137 people from the humanitarian flotilla, including 36 Turkish and 23 Malaysian citizens, arrived by the flight.
After being transferred from Israel to Istanbul, the activists were taken to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute for health checks before giving testimonies to prosecutors as witnesses.
Haşmet Yazıcı said his vessel was bombed by drones in open waters, causing physical injuries and damaging the sail. Israeli assault boats harassed the vessel, trying to sink it, before commandos boarded and seized control.
Yazıcı said activists were made to sit on the concrete floor for three hours at the port of Ashdod, with their hands bound behind their backs and heads forced to the ground.
“When elderly and weak people who couldn’t stay in that position for hours changed positions, they forced their heads to the ground by kicking them, handcuffing them in the position of prostration and making them wait for one to two hours,” he added.
Yazıcı said when they wanted to give testimonies in Turkish, a female security officer standing nearby said, “Dirty Turks, you already smell bad.”
He said when activists accused her of racism, they were threatened.
“They asked us why we entered Israeli territory without permission. I told them, ‘We didn’t enter Israeli territory; you forcibly took us from international waters.’ They asked why we were going to Gaza. I said that there is genocide happening there, that they are killing children, that we were bringing humanitarian aid and that we set off for Gaza in accordance with international law,” said Yazıcı.
He said they tried to make him sign three papers, but since he did not know Hebrew, he refused to sign.
Bekir Develi said activists were subjected to psychological and physical abuse by Israeli soldiers.
The Turkish TV presenter and author said his hands were tightly handcuffed behind his back, resulting in bruising.
Develi said they were given food two days after being detained, but no water was provided for four days, and when they got requested water, they were subjected to physical abuse.
“When we tried to pray, they intervened,” he said, adding that his personal belongings, including his money, were stolen by Israeli forces.
“We showed to the world that the blockade can be broken, we demonstrated it by approaching some 36 miles to Gaza with 50 vessels. We brought the aid as far as we could despite the risk of gunfire by Israel. We could not reach Gazans, but for the children, we put toys we were carrying in trash bags and threw them into the sea, praying they would reach them,” he stated.
Mesut Çakar said that after being detained and arriving at the port, they were forced to wait for about an hour in a reverse handcuff position, with their heads on the hot asphalt.
He said that while they were waiting, his friend from the ship, Mustafa Çakmakçı, had his arm broken.
“They did not treat the European nationals there in such a manner. They only displayed humiliating behavior toward Turkish citizens. They stole some of my personal belongings,” said Çakar.
He said they were transported in a cramped, cage-like space in a police vehicle for two hours before being taken to an Israeli prison, where they were held in a similar area for two to three hours, denied water, and forced to drink from the toilet tap during their three-day detention.
He said they interrogated and assaulted an Australian citizen.
“Two activists with asthma were struggling to breathe. They were not given any medication. Also, they would wake us up every two hours and move us to different locations in prison,” Çakar said.
He said Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the prison, after which officials separated the activists into cages and cells, frequently moving them between areas.
They laughed while smoking cigarettes in front of them and took photos and videos, he added.
Yaşar Yavuz, a journalist, said they managed to ruin Israel’s sanity. Yavuz recalled that he was particularly targeted by Israel as he was a journalist and was deprived of water for three days while he was in detention.
Türkiye’s assistance
The activist hailed how they felt Türkiye was with them, even when they were en route to Gaza. “We felt Türkiye’s presence there even in Israel. We have a great state,” Yavuz said.
Türkiye assisted the flotilla by air and sea during their journey that began in August. On Sept. 29, Türkiye delivered medicine and humanitarian assistance to the flotilla in the Mediterranean, somewhere between Cyprus and Egypt. Turkish Red Crescent boarded the Turkish navy’s ships to reach the flotilla and deliver the aid. The charity also assisted in the evacuation of some activists aboard Johnny M, a flotilla vessel that malfunctioned and began taking on water. Some activists aboard were transferred to other vessels, while four activists were evacuated to Türkiye. Türkiye also deployed drones in the area to monitor safe evacuation and delivery of humanitarian assistance.
As photos of the Turkish Naval Forces Command’s battleships circulated on social media, the Ministry of National Defense confirmed that Türkiye was monitoring the flotilla’s journey and promised assistance if needed.
In a written statement on Sept. 30, the ministry said Türkiye was closely following humanitarian aid activities through civilian ships sailing in the Eastern Mediterranean at the moment, to ensure their safe journey as part of “international law and humanitarian values.”
“In this framework, our vessels engaged in routine training and other missions in the region will contribute to humanitarian aid missions in coordination with relevant agencies and international sides if the need arises. Türkiye, as it did in the past, will fulfill its responsibilities under any circumstance and anywhere for the protection of humanitarian values and the safety of innocent civilians,” the statement concluded.
On the same day of the statement, a Turkish frigate evacuated seven activists from a malfunctioning boat of the flotilla and brought them to Türkiye’s port of Marmaris.
When Israel started hijacking boats and illegally detaining activists on Oct. 1 in international waters, Türkiye branded it as an act of terrorism endangering civilian lives. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan instructed authorities to bring activists illegally held by Israel to Türkiye. At the same time, the government contacted other countries to seek assistance in bringing their citizens from Israel. The Foreign Ministry and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) coordinated the efforts to get the illegally held activists to Türkiye aboard a Turkish Airlines plane.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan praised the flotilla on Saturday as “a rare and noble action,” urging global support to raise international awareness of the genocide against Palestinians.
“This is a noble action. Creating international awareness to prevent the ongoing genocide in Gaza and to support the Palestinian cause is currently our greatest weapon. Frankly, this is what we are doing in international diplomacy,” Fidan told Turkish broadcaster TRT Haber.
After the flotilla set sail, Türkiye established a coordination mechanism with several countries and issued a statement with 17 nations on Sept. 16 to send a unified message and apply international pressure, he said.
Türkiye sent the message that flotilla participants were not alone and noted that navigational safety was crucial after departure, said Fidan, with the Turkish Navy coordinating with aerial surveillance and naval forces in the region, especially from Spain and Italy.
“After these noble activists were detained, we needed to take an operational step as soon as possible to end their captivity,” said Fidan.
He said they contacted Israeli authorities and security officials through MIT.
Fidan added that the Turkish charge d’affaires at the local embassy also communicated with authorities, and through the efforts of many behind the scenes, Turkish nationals and some foreign activists, following requests from their countries, were brought to Türkiye on Saturday.
Urging states to support the flotilla “to the fullest extent possible,” Fidan said that some activists had remained behind and would face a procedural trial. He has hope they will be released within a few days at the latest.
Stressing that the Turkish government takes the Palestinian issue seriously and follows it with great diligence, Fidan said that President Recep Erdoğan’s sensitivity to the matter is at the highest level.
Stronger now
Activist Mustafa Çakmakçı says they suffered a lot after Israel illegally detained them, but they were not daunted. “We will continue our journey with newfound strength now, for the freedom of our brothers and sisters,” he said after arriving in Istanbul on Saturday. “Our wings will be healed and one day, we will fly to freedom again,” he said.
“Think about what we’ve gone through in the past three days, before the very eyes of the world. Then, consider what people in Gaza go through. This should give us courage to move forward to raise our voice,” he said.
Semanur Sönmez Yaman, a deputy director at Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM), said Israel tried everything to hurt their dignity. She showed off her headscarf, which was originally a T-shirt she had to wear to cover her hair. “The worst part was that they took away our headscarves. They claimed they would conduct a medical check on us and took away our headscarves. My friends gave me their T-shirt so that I could cover my head,” she recounted.
Still, Yaman is undeterred. “I will board another vessel if another flotilla goes there,” she told journalists in Istanbul on Saturday. “We could not reach the shore, but we knew that people lined up after us to board ships for Gaza. Israel’s end is near and this oppression cannot stand,” she said.
Yaman stated that it was significant to have activists from 50 countries aboard the flotilla. “People also became aware of Türkiye’s strength. One day after Israeli drones attacked the flotilla, we felt safe because Turkish drones were flying above us now. Turkish vessels were on the horizon and they never abandoned us. We are grateful,” she said.
Ramazan Tunç, a member of the Turkish delegation of activists in the flotilla, said all activists made sacrifices at the highest level to reach Gaza. “We did it, we did manage to show Israel’s barbaric actions, absolute evil to the world,” he said.
Damaged vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla are being repaired in Türkiye’s Antalya after an Israeli attack in international waters, with volunteers working to prepare the ships for another voyage toward Gaza.
Some of the vessels were left with damaged engines, broken masts and torn sails after the attack. They were later brought to Antalya, where local and international volunteers are carrying out repairs at a shipyard.
Two vessels have already been repaired and sent to Italy as part of preparations for another Gaza-bound mission, said Sümeyra Akdeniz Ordu, a board member of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
“We are trying to recover the ships drifting at sea one by one. We are carrying out a rescue mission,” Ordu told Anadolu Agency (AA). “We are repairing these ships so they can sail to Gaza again.”
Fourteen flotilla vessels are currently in Antalya, Ordu said, adding that volunteers from different countries were helping coordinate and repair the ships.
She said each vessel had a special significance for the activists and that they were treating the ships “like their own children” as they worked to restore them.
The damage was extensive, Ordu said, describing broken masts, damaged engines and cut hoses. She also said the sails had been torn with knives.
“The mast was broken, surface cleaner and coffee had been poured into the engines, and the hoses on each ship had been cut one by one,” she said. “They caused this damage by ramming them with larger ships.”
The repairs have been difficult because of the extent of the damage, but volunteers have continued working, Ordu said.
Türkiye has provided a safe port for the repair effort, she added.
Ordu said the activists remained determined to continue their efforts despite the damage to the vessels.
“If the enemy does not give up, we cannot give up,” she said. “We are trying to be a voice here for our Palestinian friends.”
She said the damage to the vessels showed what she described as the violence and hostility directed at the flotilla.
“We, too, insist on continuing every form of resistance,” Ordu said.
Türkiye condemned a drone attack on a power distribution station in the Saudi city of Medina that supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, reiterating its support for Saudi Arabia amid renewed regional tensions.
Ömer Çelik, spokesperson for Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), condemned the attack on Friday, saying targeting infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque was unacceptable.
“Attacks targeting our sacred values are illegitimate acts directed against all Muslims,” Çelik said in a social media post, adding that Türkiye strongly supported Saudi Arabia’s security and stability.
The targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second-holiest site. The attack put one transformer out of service but did not affect the electricity network.
Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry also strongly condemned the attack, saying strikes targeting civilian infrastructure and threatening Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security should “cease immediately and unconditionally.”
The ministry reiterated Türkiye’s support for Saudi Arabia and called on parties to avoid steps that could further escalate tensions in the region.
“We reaffirm our strong support for Saudi Arabia and emphasize the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions in the region,” the statement said.
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran on Friday separately condemned the strike and said Türkiye would continue to stand by Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi-led coalition said an investigation and examination of drone wreckage indicated Houthi involvement in the Sept. 29 attack.
Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al Maliki said the targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest sites.
Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over the Muslim holy city. The coalition described that incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017.
Earlier on Thursday, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, also condemned the attack on Medina.
The OIC described the targeting of vital infrastructure and facilities as “a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of the sanctity of holy sites,” as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms.
Bashiqa-Zilkan, a key Turkish base in Iraq, will soon be handed over to Iraqi authorities while Turkish troops are expected to withdraw from the country. The development, which comes amid the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country, which remained there as part of an anti-Daesh coalition, signals the start of a new era for Iraq and Türkiye. The Ministry of National Defense said in a statement on Thursday that the handover of the base did not mean an end to cooperation with Iraq and, on the contrary, Türkiye would continue supporting Iraq’s security and stability.
Türkiye and Iraq agreed earlier this month to deepen security cooperation, restore full Iraqi state authority in Sinjar and begin the gradual handover of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base to Baghdad under an agreed timetable.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced the steps in a joint statement following talks in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The ministry said Türkiye welcomed steps to ensure state authority in Sinjar. The base was set up in 2015 to help Iraq fight against Daesh and later maintained its presence when the terrorist group PKK sought to replace Daesh following the liberation of Sinjar.
“These steps will contribute to normalization of the region, establishing an environment of security and stability and a terror-free region,” the ministry said, using an expression referring to Ankara’s “terror-free Türkiye” initiative, which aims to disarm the PKK.
The statement also said it was decided to gradually hand over the compound to the central government in Baghdad, “based on improvement of security in Sinjar.”
“Our country, as it did in the past, stands with our neighbor Iraq in terms of maintaining an environment of security and stability. Throughout future contacts, we are planning to take steps that will further advance military and security cooperation. We will continue supporting Iraq’s armed forces in increasing military capacity, sharing know-how in counterterrorism and in the fields of military training and defense industry cooperation, based on bilateral agreements,” the ministry stated.
Ayhan Sarı, an assistant professor at the Turkish-German University and a security and foreign policy expert at the Turkish Research Foundation (TAV), noted that Türkiye’s withdrawal was linked to ending the PKK’s presence in Sinjar and the re-establishment of Baghdad’s authority there.
Sarı told Daily Sabah that Türkiye has been in Iraq as an exercise of its right to self-defense under international law, particularly Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which recognizes the right to individual and collective self-defense against armed attacks. “Türkiye’s presence in Iraq has been due to the PKK threat in the north. (The dissolution) of the PKK will remove the need to remain in Iraq,” Sarı said.
He noted that the PKK and other terrorist groups had, for years, filled the power vacuum that emerged in Iraq’s northern region following the beginning of the Iraq War.
“Iraq’s central government claims it can find a solution to this vacuum through recent steps and establish full authority within its borders after the U.S. withdrawal,” Sarı said.
A U.S.-led coalition deployed in Iraq more than a decade ago against Daesh formally concluded its mission on Wednesday. Daesh was largely expelled from Iraq and Syria, also thanks to Türkiye’s cross-border operations in Assad-era Syria, but U.S. forces remained. Washington and Baghdad reached an agreement two years ago to wind down the mission.
Sarı said it was only natural that Türkiye was supportive of Iraq’s steps to ensure security on its own, since Ankara was committed to developing good relations with its neighbors and centered its foreign policy on peace and stability.
“As it did in Syria, Türkiye sides with central authority, stability and security in Iraq. Türkiye will support this move and will do whatever it can to ensure that this mission succeeds in maintaining stability and security, based on its neighborly relations,” he said.
Sarı added that Iraq’s efforts were compatible with Türkiye’s foreign policy and plans. “Iraq’s success will also mean the complete expulsion of the PKK from that country. This expulsion, removal of this malignant tumor between Türkiye and Iraq, will certainly add momentum to Turkish-Iraqi relations,” he also stated.
Speaking at the inauguration of the new legislative year at the Turkish Parliament on Thursday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed a law passed by Parliament on terror-free Türkiye, which involves the disarmament of the terrorist group PKK.
“Consensus on a terror-free Türkiye has upset the country’s foes. (Terror-free Türkiye) is already having a deterrent effect on Türkiye’s foes and is empowering the country,” Erdoğan said.
The president also urged other political parties to strengthen the “home front” amid regional tensions and reach a “grand Türkiye consensus.”
The Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration was approved by Parliament in August following months of political consultations over the government’s terror-free Türkiye initiative. The 12-article legislation received broad parliamentary backing, with 468 lawmakers voting in favor, 88 against and six abstaining. It mainly involves deferral of sentences and prosecution, as part of the initiative that paved the way for the dissolution of the PKK.
For decades, the PKK remained the main security threat for Türkiye, and its violent campaign is blamed for the deaths of thousands of people and immense economic losses, especially in southeastern Türkiye. Apart from small nationalist parties, almost all political parties openly supported the initiative, something rare in polarized Turkish politics.
“The era of opposition solely based on opposing what the government did is over. It is a grave mistake to reduce politics to antagonizing the rivals, to a war of attrition, instead of making it a race in offering the best public services. Regional and global developments require us to pursue a new style of politics,” Erdoğan told Parliament amid constant applause from lawmakers from his Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The main opposition New Party (YP) left Parliament’s general assembly hall as Erdoğan took the floor.
“We have two options now: We will either continue with the old way of politics focusing on polarization, or we will build new politics based on finding common ground, finding consensus amid competition,” he said.
“If we are meant to make Türkiye great and strong again, if we are meant to utilize historic opportunities, we have to adapt to this paradigm shift altogether and without losing more time,” he said.
The president said they did not expect all political parties to fully align or have the same opinion.
“Different views are certainly the wealth of Türkiye, Turkish democracy. But all political parties should prioritize Türkiye. Every party should draw power from its own dynamics, its grassroots, to carry out ‘Türkiye-oriented politics,'” Erdoğan said.
“Reconciliation and tolerance should replace conflict and polarization. We have to find common ground on matters essential for every member of our nation. This is what we call the ‘grand Türkiye consensus,'” Erdoğan added.
New constitution
The president also focused on drafting a new constitution. “The goal of a new and civilian constitution is a struggle for Turkish democracy to prove its maturity. Our esteemed Parliament is competent and authorized to draft a constitution under all circumstances and in every period. A new constitution that will broaden Türkiye’s horizons will be the product not of a politics of polarization, but of a new politics based on competition within consensus. Our nation’s longing for a new constitution must not be held hostage by manufactured fears. Our position regarding the first four articles of the Constitution currently in force is clear. Rolling up our sleeves for a new and civilian constitution worthy of the ‘Century of Türkiye’ is a genuine test of sincerity for everyone. I hope the current legislative year will be a year of constitutional reform that expands Türkiye’s opportunities and potential,” he said.
Since the founding of the Republic of Türkiye, constitutional design has served as the backbone of the country’s legal system. The current Constitution, adopted in 1982, has been repeatedly amended over the decades, most notably in 2017, when a national referendum paved the way for the country’s transition from a parliamentary model to an executive presidential system.
Despite numerous amendments over the decades, replacing the 1982 Constitution with a new, civilian-drafted charter remains a prominent issue in Türkiye’s political debate.
Erdoğan and Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş have repeatedly advocated for a new civilian constitution, arguing that the existing charter retains the legacy of military rule under which it was drafted despite extensive subsequent amendments.
Türkiye condemned Thursday a drone attack by Houthis on a power station in the Muslim holy city of Medina, reaffirming its support for Saudi Arabia.
The targeted facility supplies electricity to the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second-holiest site. The attack put one transformer out of service but did not affect the electricity network.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on Thursday that an investigation and examination of drone wreckage confirmed Houthi involvement in planning and carrying out Tuesday’s attack.
“We strongly condemn the Houthis’ attack on civilian infrastructure serving the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“These provocative attacks, which threaten Saudi Arabia’s sovereignty and security and target the sacred values of the Islamic world, must cease immediately and unconditionally,” it said.
Saudi Arabia said two weeks ago it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered restricted airspace over the Muslim holy city. The coalition described that incident as the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca since 2017.
The Foreign Ministry emphasized the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions.
“We reaffirm our strong support for Saudi Arabia and emphasize the need to avoid any steps that would further escalate tensions in the region,” the statement said.
Earlier Thursday, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, also condemned the attack on Medina.
The OIC described the targeting of vital infrastructure and facilities as “a dangerous escalation and a blatant violation of the sanctity of holy sites,” as well as international and humanitarian laws and norms.
The organization affirmed its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia in measures taken to protect its territory, security and stability, defend Islamic holy sites and safeguard citizens and residents.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said the drone attack constituted “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia and a threat to its security and stability.”
The Saudi-led coalition said the Medina attack was part of what it described as repeated Houthi attempts to target the Two Holy Mosques and “provoke” Muslims worldwide. It said it would continue taking measures to protect the holy sites and pilgrims.
Houthis denied the accusation.
The latest escalation is the most serious fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthis since a U.N.-brokered truce largely halted cross-border attacks in 2022. Hostilities resumed this year after the Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July and began attacking Saudi territory and shipping, while Houthi forces also made major territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
Saudi Arabia has responded with airstrikes in Yemen and backed government forces fighting to push back the Houthis.
Turkish authorities detained Eyüpsultan Mayor Mithat Bülent Özmen and 27 other suspects earlier Friday as part of a corruption investigation involving the Istanbul district municipality, prosecutors said.
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said detention orders were issued for 28 suspects over allegations including membership in a criminal organization, receiving and giving bribes and bid rigging.
All 28 suspects were detained in simultaneous operations carried out by financial crimes police, according to the prosecutor’s office. Authorities also conducted searches and seizures at addresses linked to the suspects and searched the Republican People’s Party (CHP)-run Eyüpsultan Municipality building.
Prosecutors said the investigation was being conducted in coordination with the Ankara Police Department’s Financial Crimes Investigation Branch.
“The investigation continues in a comprehensive and meticulous manner,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Özmen, who serves as mayor of Istanbul’s Eyüpsultan district, was among those taken into custody.
The detentions are part of an ongoing investigation, and no court has ruled on the allegations against the suspects.
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