Activist Huseyin Oral from Global Sumud Flotilla Arrives in Istanbul After Israeli Intervention
Istanbul, May 5 – Huseyin Oral, an activist from the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was seized by Israel in international waters while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, arrived in Istanbul by plane. Oral, who was among those forcibly removed from the flotilla and taken to Crete, recounted the events upon his arrival at Istanbul Airport.
The plane, which departed from Bucharest Otopeni Airport in Romania, landed at Istanbul Airport around 11:15 PM. Oral was greeted by relatives and officials at the VIP Lounge of the airport. He was then taken to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute for a health examination as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Forcible Removal and Injuries
Oral described the intervention by Israeli forces: “We protested, we staged a sit-in. This time they tried to remove us by force. Some were kicked and punched. There were female doctors, they dragged them out. You can see it in my eyes. They were all like robots, but we were surprised that they were afraid of us. The men were big and tall, but there was fear on their faces.”
Beheşti İsmail Songür, President of the Mavi Marmara Association, stated, “Huseyin abi is one of the Sumud activists who was captured and forcibly taken to Crete after a terrorist attack by Israeli terrorist forces off the coast of Crete. 59 activists had been evacuated there, and there were still Turkish citizens remaining, and Huseyin abi was one of them. During this process, he was severely attacked by Israeli terrorist forces. He was injured and stayed in the hospital for treatment. He was supposed to come to Turkey yesterday, but his flight was missed, it was done intentionally, and today, thank God, with the initiative of our governorship and the initiative of our deputies, we managed his evacuation from Romania.”
Account of the Incident
Oral detailed the moments leading up to the seizure: “We went to the big ship to consult with friends, and there was a half-hour introduction, then the internet went on and off. Our brother Şuayip was with us and told us, ‘Friends, there’s something abnormal, let’s be prepared.’ Various ships started appearing in the distance, and then they approached. He said, ‘Everyone kneel down, they will attack us.’ As a result, that’s what happened; they pulled out their weapons and surrounded us. In our training, we were told that in such situations, we should kneel, raise our hands, and not resist. That’s exactly what happened; they said, ‘Otherwise, we will be in the wrong.’ We knelt, they came to our ship, handcuffed our hands behind us with plastic handcuffs, the marks are still there. They first sent us to the front, then told us, ‘Come to the back.’ From there, they put us on boats and filled us into a large prison ship they had prepared earlier. This was a military ship, by the way, and they took us in like a herd of animals, kicking and punching.”
Journey and Continued Resistance
Oral continued, “We traveled for 2 nights and 3 days. On the third day, we realized we had arrived at an island, and they said, ‘You will be taken off.’ We said, ‘If our brother Seyif and our brother Tihago are not coming, we will not leave.’ We protested, we staged a sit-in. This time they tried to remove us by force. Some were kicked and punched. There were female doctors, they dragged them out. You can see it in my eyes. They were all like robots, but we were surprised that they were afraid of us. The men were big and tall, but there was fear on their faces. They grabbed my arms. Of course, I resisted at first not to leave, then they grabbed my arms and dragged me. They threw a punch from the right, then a punch from the left. They did it outside so that our friends wouldn’t see. Of course, at that moment, my eye burst, and blood started flowing to the ground. God willing, I have no pain. I didn’t feel any pain when I took that punch, I thought the pain would come the next day. I thought it would come on the third day, there is not an ounce of pain. They handed us over to the Greeks, who came with boats. They also took us ashore, there was a small port, somewhere in the mountains. I had a small bag with me. I had over a thousand euros, I had my driver’s license. They said, ‘We handed it over to the Greeks,’ and then the Greeks said, ‘We took it.’ When I asked the Greeks where my bag was when we reached ashore, they said, ‘We didn’t take the bag.’ We realized there was such a collaboration there.”
The Global Sumud Flotilla aimed to break the blockade on Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid. The incident highlights the ongoing tensions in the region and the challenges faced by humanitarian efforts.
Source: https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/sumud-filosundaki-aktivistlerden-huseyin-oral-istanbula-geldi-43166214
