The flotilla sending humanitarian aid to Gaza continued the last leg of its journey on 29 September after Turkey evacuated the crew of one of the vessels, the Johnny M, which broke down after it began to flood while sailing in Mediterranean waters. The activists were rescued safely thanks to the intervention of the Turkish government and the Turkish Red Crescent.
According to Turkish media reports, the occupants of the Johnny M – one of the ships in the Global Sumud Flotilla sailing to Gaza to break the Israeli humanitarian blockade – issued a distress signal after the vessel suffered a leak and was left out of service.
The incident occurred in an area between Crete, Cyprus and Egypt. It was the ship’s captain who radioed that the engine room was flooding. On board the vessel were activists from a number of countries, including Luxembourg, France, Finland, Mexico and Malaysia. Following the distress signal, units from the Turkish Red Crescent and other Turkish institutions organised the evacuation of the occupants.
Rapid intervention by Turkish authorities
In a statement released via its official Instagram profile, the Global Sumud Flotilla stressed that the operation went smoothly thanks to the swift coordination of the Turkish government, adding that despite this incident no significant delays are expected and that the expedition remains on target to reach Gaza within four days.
Semih Fener, captain of the ship Alma – one of the ships involved in the rescue operation – told the Turkish news agency Anatolia that “There is no sunken ship, just a technical breakdown. We picked up 12 people and distributed them among other boats (in the flotilla). Four of them will return home via Turkey”. The captain added that the rescued activists “are grateful to the Turks and the Turkish Red Crescent for the evacuation process”.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, made up of some 50 vessels, set sail earlier this month from Barcelona with the aim of bringing aid to the Gaza Strip and challenging the blockade imposed by Israel. The convoy, whose name in Arabic means ‘resistance’, is carrying more than 500 people from some 40 countries, including activists, doctors, journalists and politicians.
Israel plans to storm the flotilla on the night of 30 September
Participants in the initiative include Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Irish actor Liam Cunningham, Spanish performer Eduardo Fernandez and former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau. The organisers estimate that the flotilla will reach Gaza in three to four days, although it will have to pass through a high-risk area between 30 September and 1 October, where it is feared that Israeli intervention is likely to take place.
In fact Israel – which has already blocked two previous attempts in June and July – has reiterated that it will not allow the convoy to enter Gaza. Israeli media reported that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) plan to intercept the flotilla some 180 kilometres off the Gaza coast on the night of 30 September; according to these reports, commandos from the elite naval unit Shayetet 13 plan to board the ships, after which they will detain the activists for 4-5 days and deport them unless they agree to sign a document recognising Israeli sovereignty over Gaza – a demand that the flotilla’s organisers have already said they will reject.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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