Turkey calls Israel ‘terrorist state’ over seizure of Gaza aid ship Madleen
The Turkish government on Monday accused Israel of being a “terrorist state” after its forces intercepted the Madleen, a vessel carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, in international waters.
The ship, which had two Turkish citizens among 12 activists on board, was prevented from reaching the besieged Palestinian enclave in the early hours of Monday.
Turkish officials described the incident as a “clear violation of international law,” accusing the Israeli government of jeopardising both maritime security and freedom of navigation.
“This heinous attack by the Netanyahu government, which also threatens freedom of navigation and maritime security, has once again proven that Israel is a terrorist state,” the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.
Turkish foreign ministry sources told MEE that Turkey’s Tel Aviv embassy has taken the necessary steps to ensure that Turkish citizens are released as soon as possible.
The two Turkish citizens who had been on board the Madleen are Yasemin Acar, who is a dual German-Turkish national, and Suayb Ordu.
Israeli forces seized control of the charity vessel, which was aiming to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip, and detained its crew, including activist Greta Thunberg, Israeli officials said.
The British-flagged yacht Madleen, operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), was aiming to deliver a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid – including rice and baby formula – to Gaza later on Monday, and to raise international awareness of the humanitarian crisis there.
However, the boat was intercepted in the early hours of Monday before it could reach Gaza, the FFC said on its Telegram account.
Israel had vowed to prevent the vessel from reaching Gaza, stating that its military would use “any means necessary” to stop it from breaching the naval blockade.
Among the activists on the intercepted voyage were Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, Rima Hassan- a French member of the European Parliament – and Turkish citizen and activist Suayb Ordu.
The FFC reported that quadcopters surrounded the aid ship and sprayed it with a “white liquid”.
Previous attacks
This is not the first time Turkey has faced an Israeli interception of an aid ship carrying Turkish citizens bound for Gaza. In 2010, Israel raided a Gaza-bound flotilla transporting activists and humanitarian aid, killing 10 Turkish citizens and arresting dozens of Turkish activists.
The incident triggered a major crisis in Turkish-Israeli relations that lasted for years. Israel later apologised and agreed to pay compensation in a US-brokered deal in 2013.
Ankara’s statement also accused Israel of “using hunger as a weapon” and reiterated its longstanding support for the Palestinian cause.
“Israel’s aggressive and lawless attitude will not be able to silence those who defend human values,” it said, adding that the international community’s “justified reaction” to Israel’s “genocidal” policies in Gaza would continue.
The incident comes amid mounting international criticism of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which has sparked widespread protests and calls for accountability over alleged war crimes and the prevention of vital humanitarian aid deliveries.
Various aid organisations and UN agencies accuse Israel of committing genocide in Gaza following the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.
Turkish-Israeli relations have deeply deteriorated since then, with Ankara imposing a total trade embargo and joining a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
According to Palestinian health and government officials, since October 2023, at least 54,880 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, of whom 28,000 are women and girls. Among those killed, at least 1,400are health sector workers, over 300 UN aid workers, and more than 220 journalists.
