Turkey Labels Israeli Attack on Gaza Flotilla as ‘Piracy’, Urges Global Unity

Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has described the Israeli forces’ attack on the ‘Samoud’ flotilla en route to breaking the Gaza blockade as ‘piracy’ and has called on the international community to adopt a unified stance against what it termed illegal actions. The ministry stated that this operation violates international law principles and freedom of navigation in international waters.

In an official statement, the ministry said the attack targeted human values and contravened accepted rules of international maritime law. Ankara emphasized that all necessary measures are being taken in coordination with the relevant countries regarding the situation of Turkish citizens and other passengers aboard the ships.

Meanwhile, Israeli media, citing the country’s military radio, reported that the Israeli Navy has so far taken control of 7 ships out of the 58 vessels in the Samoud flotilla. According to these reports, the operation began even though some ships were located far from Israel’s coasts.

Activists of the global Samoud flotilla announced that most of their boats in the Mediterranean Sea have experienced disruptions in communication and positioning systems. They stated that Israeli military vessels are approaching the ships heading towards Gaza.

Some Israeli media also reported that the flotilla was near the island of Crete, Greece, with the naval operation starting from that area. The Samoud flotilla is considered part of international efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.