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An American activist who was detained after Israel attacked the Global Sumud Fleet in international waters has expressed appreciation for Turkish solidarity with Palestine following her return to Türkiye.
Windfield Beaver, speaking to an Anadolu Agency correspondent, described her journey toward Gaza as "incredible" and praised the support she received from the Turkish people during her ordeal.
The activist recounted the voyage before Israeli military intercepted the humanitarian flotilla on October 1st as it approached Gazan waters. "We knew we were sailing toward Israeli prisons or violence, but the solidarity we felt on that journey and the commitment we shared was incredible," Beaver said.
She described scenes of dolphins accompanying the fleet during the day and stars lighting their path at night, emphasizing the strong sense of unity among participants before and throughout the voyage.
Beaver was sharply critical of her own government's role in the Gaza conflict. "The United States is complicit in the genocide in Gaza," she said. "It provides all the weapons for Israel to massacre Palestinians."
The activist highlighted what she saw as a stark contrast between Turkish and American responses to the flotilla incident. "It was so reassuring and beautiful to see a state really take action on our behalf, because my state did nothing. There were no visits from our embassy or consular services. We saw no support from our government," Beaver said.
She expressed particular admiration for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's vocal support for Palestinians, saying she follows his statements of solidarity with appreciation. "I could feel the love, interest and solidarity for the Palestinian people, and I really appreciated that very much," Beaver said about Turkish support.
Beaver called on any United Nations member state that believes in human rights to intervene in what she characterized as Israeli genocide. Despite the harsh treatment from Israeli military, she noted that international attention provided some protection.
"Israel treated us very badly in our mission, but because the world's eyes were on us, they couldn't use as much violence against us. So we were protected thanks to the support we had," she said.
The Global Sumud Fleet, which set sail to break Israel's blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, represents the largest collective flotilla to date attempting to reach the besieged territory. Israeli military attacked the fleet as it neared Gaza waters on the evening of October 1st, illegally seizing dozens of boats and ships and detaining hundreds of passengers.
The incident has drawn international attention to ongoing efforts by activists to challenge the naval blockade of Gaza, which has been in place since 2007.
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