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The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said Thursday it has launched an investigation into the detention of Turkish citizens during Israel’s raid on the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters.
The office said in a statement that 24 Turks were among those detained after Israeli naval forces intercepted the aid flotilla bound for Gaza. The investigation is based on the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, Article 15 of Türkiye’s Criminal Procedure Code, and Articles 12 and 13 of the Turkish Criminal Code. Possible charges include “deprivation of liberty,” “hijacking or seizure of means of transport,” “aggravated robbery,” “damage to property” and “torture.”
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has also launched an investigation ex officio into the raid carried out in international waters by Israeli naval forces on the Global Sumud Flotilla, which set out to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and included Turkish citizens.
According to information obtained by Turkish news agency Anadolu, the investigation was initiated under Article 13 of the Turkish Penal Code, which stipulates that Turkish law and courts have jurisdiction even if international crimes are committed abroad by a foreigner against a foreign state.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday night denounced the "an act of terrorism" by Israel after the flotilla was intercepted, and "hoped that this attack will not compromised efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza".
The Global Sumud Flotilla, organized to challenge Israel’s blockade and deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza, said Israeli forces targeted 15 vessels late Wednesday. In a statement, its Turkish delegation said the number of detained Turkish activists had risen to 25.
Flotilla organizers reported that a total of 223 international activists were detained, and that as many as 20 boats were intercepted. A further 24 vessels continued toward Gaza, according to a tracker shared by the group.
On social media, the flotilla reported that at least eight other boats were either under attack or likely to be intercepted. It also published the names and nationalities of the detained participants.
Turkish activist Erdem Ozveren, speaking from one of the vessels, said their ship was less than 30 nautical miles from the Gaza Strip.
The flotilla, carrying medical supplies and humanitarian cargo, set sail in late August. It is the largest such mission in years, involving more than 50 ships and over 500 participants from 45 countries.
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Israel has said it will not allow the convoy to reach Gaza and has transferred detained activists to ports under its control.
Gaza, home to 2.4 million people, has been under Israeli blockade for nearly 18 years. Israel tightened restrictions further in March by closing border crossings and halting food and medicine deliveries, triggering what aid agencies describe as famine conditions.
Since October 2023, more than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli bombardments, most of them women and children, according to Gaza health authorities. The U.N. and human rights groups warn the enclave is becoming uninhabitable, with widespread starvation and disease.
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