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Three Turkish Airlines planes carrying activists from the Global Sumud humanitarian aid flotilla landed at Istanbul Airport on Thursday, days after Israeli forces intercepted their convoy in international waters and detained the passengers aboard.
The activists, who were brought back on special flights arranged by the Turkish government, were received at the airport's VIP Hall by relatives and officials. Those who had sustained injuries were transferred to waiting ambulances.
Istanbul prosecutors have opened an investigation into the incident, and the returning activists are expected to be taken to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute for medical examinations as part of that inquiry.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed earlier Thursday that Ankara had arranged dedicated flights to repatriate Turkish citizens and participants from third countries who had traveled aboard the flotilla.
The flotilla said Tuesday that all 50 vessels in its convoy had been seized by Israeli forces following attacks that took place in international waters. The convoy, which carried 428 people from 44 countries, had departed the previous Thursday from Marmaris, Türkiye, in what organizers described as an attempt to break the Israeli naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since 2007.
The blockade, in place for nearly two decades, has been widely condemned by United Nations agencies and international rights groups, who say it has contributed to acute food and medicine shortages across the territory, pushing large segments of the population toward starvation.
The interception drew sharp condemnation from governments and human rights organizations worldwide. Amnesty International called Israel's actions "brazen and unlawful," arguing that the detention of activists on a mission to deliver food, medicine, and baby formula underscored what it described as decades of impunity.
The UN human rights office likewise called on Israel to release detained activists, stating that delivering aid and showing solidarity with Palestinians "is not a crime."
Israel's foreign ministry, for its part, said all foreign activists had been deported, adding that the country "will not permit any breach of the lawful naval blockade on Gaza."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's conduct toward the detainees, footage of which circulated widely online, was "not in line with Israel's values and norms." Multiple European nations called on the European Union to sanction Ben Gvir over the episode.
The return of the activists marks the formal end of their detention but not the close of the legal proceedings surrounding the incident. Istanbul prosecutors' decision to refer the returnees to the forensic medicine institute suggests Turkish authorities intend to document any evidence of mistreatment as part of a formal inquiry, a step that could inform future diplomatic or legal action.
The Global Sumud flotilla has now conducted multiple attempts to reach Gaza by sea. A previous voyage in the second half of 2025 also ended in interception by Israeli naval forces.
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