Turkey flotilla departs for Gaza

Dozens of boats carrying activists and aid left the Turkish port of Marmaris on May 14 in a new attempt to reach Gaza by sea, reviving a tactic that has repeatedly ended in Israeli interception. Organizers in the Global Sumud Flotilla said 54 vessels and nearly 500 participants from 45 countries were involved in the latest departure from Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. The convoy set out about two weeks after Israeli forces stopped an earlier flotilla near Crete and detained activists involved in that mission. The new voyage puts private organizers, rather than governments or U.N. agencies, back at the center of one of the most visible efforts to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza. ### How big is this convoy, and who is sending it? The Global Sumud Flotilla said in a May 14 statement that its fleet departed Marmaris for what it called the “final and most critical leg” toward Gaza. Reuters reported from Marmaris that the group had set sail “for a third time” after earlier attempts were disrupted by Israeli action in international waters. (usnews.com) Organizers gave slightly different public counts, but all described a large civilian convoy. The Sumud group and affiliated supporters said 54 boats were involved and that nearly 500 people from 45 countries were taking part, while an organizer cited by AFP said around 50 ships had already sailed from southwestern Turkey. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said on May 13 that it was launching five additional vessels from a Greek island to join the broader mission. (globalsumudflotilla.org) Organizer Gorkem Duru told AFP that four or five Freedom Flotilla boats were expected to rendezvous with the Turkey-based convoy in international waters. ### What happened to the previous flotilla near Crete? (nst.com.my) On April 30, Israeli forces intercepted boats from the same broader campaign near the southern Greek island of Crete, according to AP and Reuters reports. U.S. News, republishing AP, said more than 20 boats were stopped and about 175 activists were to be transported to Greece. Reuters reported that more than 100 pro-Palestinian activists were taken to Crete and that two others were detained in Israel. (freedomflotilla.org) The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said on May 10 that two detained colleagues, Thiago Ávila and Saif Abukeshek, were nearing release from Israeli detention. AP separately reported that Israeli authorities said the two activists were being taken to Israel for questioning after the interception in international waters. Turkey said on May 1 that it would repatriate about 20 Turkish nationals from the intercepted flotilla, according to Turkish Minute’s report citing Turkish officials. (usnews.com) That response underscored that Ankara had citizens on the earlier mission even though the new convoy is being presented by organizers as a privately run effort. ### What do organizers say they are trying to do? (freedomflotilla.org) The Global Sumud Flotilla said its legal team had issued a declaration describing the voyage as a lawful humanitarian mission aimed at opening a corridor to Gaza. The group said any attempt to obstruct the boats would carry legal consequences, framing the mission as both aid delivery and a challenge to the blockade. (turkishminute.com) The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said its five vessels were part of a broader international effort to break what it called Israel’s siege of Gaza. On its website, the coalition says it exists to challenge the blockade and publicize conditions in Gaza. ### What has Israel said or done in response? Israel’s public position has been conveyed mainly through its actions in recent weeks. (globalsumudflotilla.org) Israeli forces intercepted the April 30 flotilla in international waters near Crete, according to AP, Reuters and other reports, and Israeli authorities took at least two activists to Israel for questioning. (freedomflotilla.org) No public statement in the reporting reviewed for this article indicated that Israel would permit the new convoy to reach Gaza. That leaves the next phase likely to play out at sea, where the earlier mission was halted. ### What happens next for the boats now at sea? May 14 was the departure date from Marmaris, and organizers said the flotilla was heading directly toward Gaza. (usnews.com) Gorkem Duru said the Turkey-based boats would be joined in international waters by additional vessels linked to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. The next concrete milestone is whether the convoy reaches the waters off Gaza or is intercepted before then. (usnews.com) In the immediate term, the named groups to watch are the Global Sumud Flotilla and the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, whose vessels are now attempting to converge at sea. (globalsumudflotilla.org) (timesofisrael.com)