ISTANBUL: Serious allegations of inhumane treatment have surfaced after the deportation of 137 activists, including 36 Turkish citizens, who were part of the “Sumud Flotilla”.
The activists were expelled from Israel and arrived in Istanbul, where they recounted shocking details of their ordeal at the hands of Israeli forces.
According to human rights activists, Israeli forces mistreated prominent environmental activist Greta Thunberg during detention. Witnesses claimed that she was dragged across the ground and forced to kiss the Israeli flag.
A Turkish journalist confirmed seeing Israeli forces inflict physical and psychological abuse on Greta Thunberg, stating that the treatment was “humiliating and intended to break her spirit.”
A Malaysian activist revealed that detainees were denied food, clean water, and medical supplies, adding that they were kept hungry for three consecutive days.
The accounts describe a deliberate strategy to weaken and intimidate the activists during their detention.
Another Turkish activist, Aykan Kantoglu, provided further testimony upon arrival in Istanbul. He said that an Israeli officer told him during detention: “You are in Israel now — there is no Gaza here anymore.”
Kantoglu described being locked inside cage-like rooms resembling animal enclosures. He added that Arabic names of children written in blood were visible on the walls, and that detainees were deprived of food and water for 40 hours.
He further disclosed that Turkish detainees were strip-searched, while Greta Thunberg was also subjected to extreme mistreatment. These testimonies have sparked outrage among human rights organizations, which are calling for international investigations into the conduct of Israeli authorities.
The incident follows previous reports of the Israeli navy intercepting the Sumud Flotilla, which was attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. Earlier, Israel announced the transfer of the detained activists to Turkey.
The flotilla’s interception has already led to widespread protests in Sweden, New Zealand, Germany, and Spain, with demonstrators condemning Israel’s actions and expressing solidarity with Gaza.
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