KUALA LUMPUR: Turkiye will continue to assist in efforts to bring home the nine Malaysian activists detained by Israeli forces while participating in the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thousand Madleens To Gaza (FFC x TTMG) humanitarian mission.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this in his address at the ‘Himpunan Solidariti Bersama Gaza’ event held at Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil here on Wednesday night.
“Nine (activists) are still detained by Israel, my friend President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkiye conveyed a message through his foreign minister to (Malaysian Foreign Minister) Datuk Mohamad Hasan. Insya-Allah, Turkiye will continue to help Malaysia,” he said.
Earlier, Mohamad said Wisma Putra had contacted Turkiye and United States Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, in efforts to expedite the release of the nine Malaysian activists from the humanitarian mission detained by Israel.
Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCARE) Chairman, Datuk Seri Prof. Dr Kamal Nasharuddin Mustapha, earlier said all nine vessels of the FFC x TTMG humanitarian flotilla were illegally seized by Israel, including those carrying the nine Malaysian volunteers, at 10:50 am Malaysian time.
Eight Malaysians were on board the Conscience – Malaysian delegation leader, Prof. Emeritus Dr Mohd Alauddin, Dr Fauziah Mohd Hassan, Dr Hafiz Sulaiman, Dr Ili Syakira Mohd Suhaimi, Prof Dr Mohd Afandi Salleh, Dr Noorhasyimah Ismail, Norsham Abu Bakar and Astro Awani journalist, Syafik Shukri Abdul Jalil – while another medical doctor, Dr Maziah Muhammad, was aboard the Umm Saad.
Previously, Turkiye was among the countries that assisted Malaysia in securing the release of 23 activists who joined the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) humanitarian mission, who were also detained by Israeli forces after their vessels were intercepted in the Red Zone waters of the Mediterranean Sea and brought to the Ashdod port in Israel. – BERNAMA
