ISTANBUL, Sept 30 — The Turkish Red Crescent on Monday provided food and medical supplies to the Global Sumud Flotilla, which is en route to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
The Turkish Red Crescent delivered food and medical aid to the ships of the 50-strong flotilla, which are continuing their voyage through the Mediterranean in the area between Crete, the island of Cyprus, and Egypt.
Earlier Monday, Türkiye coordinated the evacuation of passengers from the flotilla vessel Johnny M after it called for help due to its taking on water.
Bernard Pierre Laguna, the French captain of the boat, Johnny M, which sent out a distress call via radio, expressed hope for those who are en route to Gaza to arrive safely.
“The water started pulling the boat downward. We lost control, and everyone on board had to be evacuated. I was the captain, and there were 12 people on board. We transferred everyone to a safe vessel. After all this, I just want to return home to Marseille.
“I did everything I could to reach Gaza, but it wasn’t possible; we nearly lost the boat. I’m going home now. I hope everything goes well for those who make it to Gaza, that things go smoothly and that they stay safe,” he told Anadolu.
Yasemin Acar, one of the activists in the Global Sumud Flotilla, said their only goal was to reach Gaza.
“The weather was rough, we were bombed. We were stopped several times, but morale is high. We’re here because we all understand Gaza needs this, and we’re not giving up. We will keep going. Right now, there are over 40 vessels, and hundreds of activists from all over the world are on board. Full speed ahead to Gaza,” she added.
Noting that they have about three days left to reach Gaza, Acar said they have faced threats from Israel along the way.
Acar said they are tirelessly fighting for Gaza despite threats from Israel to stop them and imprison them.
“Why does Israel want to stop this flotilla? We’re carrying humanitarian aid. We’re not carrying weapons. We are not the danger, Israel is. Israel is a danger not only to Gaza but to the whole world. They’re afraid because they see so many people and because we’ve mobilised the world,” she added.
The Turkish Red Crescent and other authorities took action to coordinate the evacuation from the ship in distress, which carried passengers from countries such as Luxembourg, France, Finland, Mexico, and Malaysia.
On United States (US) social media platform Instagram, the flotilla emphasised that the operation was carried out smoothly thanks to the rapid coordination of the Turkish government and the contributions of the Turkish Red Crescent on the ground during the evacuation process.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, including dozens of ships, has been sailing towards Gaza for days. The fleet carries a large amount of humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, and constitutes the largest fleet to set sail for Gaza to date.
Sumud, which means “steadfastness” or “unwavering determination” in Arabic, gained new importance among the Palestinian people after the 1967 Arab–Israeli war (Six-Day War) to describe oppression and resistance.
The concept of Sumud refers to the search for ways to resist the occupation and build alternative institutions through the Palestinians remaining on their land, keeping the Palestinian identity and culture alive, and non-violent civil disobedience. In Palestine, the olive tree and a pregnant peasant are used to illustrate this concept.
