eHalal Istanbul
🇹🇷 1,000-Boat ‘Freedom Flotilla’ Sets Sail from Turkey to Challenge Israeli Blockade on Gaza
In an attempt reminiscent of the infamous 2010 Mavi Marmara protest, approximately 1,000 boats are set to gather in Turkey on Wednesday before heading toward Gaza. The large maritime convoy, organized by Volkan Okçu and carrying 4,500 people from 40 countries, including anti-Zionist Jews, plans to disrupt maritime trade in international waters off Ashdod, Israel.
Among the 1,000 vessels, 313 will be filled with Russian activists, and 104 with Spanish activists, according to Okçu. He initially stated that only 12 Turkish vessels would join, but later tweeted that he expected the number of Turkish vessels to be much higher, at least 1,000, emphasizing that the initiative is not associated with the Turkish government.
The flotilla is scheduled to leave Turkish coasts on Thursday, making a first stop in Cyprus before continuing toward the Israeli port of Ashdod. Some participants will reportedly bring their spouses and children on board.
Okçu explained that the main objective is to disrupt maritime trade to Ashdod, interrupting the supply of goods to Israel for a week or up to 10 days. He asserted that the vessels, sailing under various flags including the US, the UK, Luxembourg, Russia, Germany, Spain, and Poland, would not give Israel any excuse to intervene, emphasizing a commitment to strictly follow international rules. Okçu declared that the moment they enter Gaza’s territorial waters, Israeli forces can only search or tow them to their ports and impose fines, as international law prohibits raiding the convoy in international waters. He warned that any attempt by Israel to take action against such a large international peace fleet would come at a heavy price.