The initiative departed from various points in the coastal district of Marmaris, in the province of Mugla, following technical meetings and logistical preparations between the organizers and the ship captains.

Among the participants are members of the flotilla’s leadership, as well as numerous international activists, and the president of the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions, Mahmut Arslan, is also participating in the voyage.

The flotilla’s departure comes weeks after Israeli forces intercepted another maritime mission linked to the same organization in international waters off Crete.

According to organizers, on April 29, Israel seized 21 boats carrying approximately 175 activists, while other vessels managed to reach Greek territorial waters.

The “Firmness Flotilla” is part of international efforts aimed at breaking the blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza since 2007. Humanitarian organizations denounce that the siege has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, especially after the Israeli military offensive launched in October 2013, which caused widespread destruction of infrastructure and the mass displacement of the population.

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