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Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli confirmed Friday that Turkish nationals, and some third-country participants detained following Israel's interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, had disembarked in Crete and were expected to return to Türkiye on a special flight the same day.
173 of 175 detained activists were handed over by the Israeli forces to Greek authorities, while two flotilla leaders, Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Avilia, remained in Israeli custody.
Keceli posted on X: "Our citizens and other participants who were detained following the unlawful intervention by Israeli forces against the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters have disembarked in Crete."
"Our ambassador in Athens and consular staff are present in Crete," he added.
"It is expected that our citizens and some third-country participants will be brought to Türkiye today on a special flight," the spokesperson noted.
Global Sumud Flotilla Crisis Desk officials told Türkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency that 175 activists had been detained in the April 29 night attack, of whom 173 were handed over by the Israeli forces to Greek authorities in Crete.
Two flotilla leaders, Saif Abukeshek and Thiago Avilia, remained in Israel's custody.
Greek broadcaster SKAI reported that 178 activists from various countries, including Greece, were transported to the village of Atherinolakkos in Lasithi, eastern Crete. They were then taken by bus to the Heraklion Airport for repatriation to their home countries.
The flotilla had been intercepted approximately 600 nautical miles from Gaza in international waters, just miles outside Greek territorial waters, on the night of April 29, the furthest such Israeli interception in history, more than 1,000km from Gaza.
The flotilla carried 345 participants from 39 countries.
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