Several weeks ago, a 13-person, all-women crew set out from Spain on the Zaytouna to break the siege of Gaza, only to suffer an attack by Israeli forces on 5 October. The occupier Israel committed the attack in international waters, roughly 55 nautical miles from Gaza.
As the Zaytouna, which included supporters of Palestine of different political stripes, including Çiğdem Topçuoğlu, who lost her husband in the Mavi Marmara massacre in 2010, was nearing Gaza, Palestinians that have been living under a state of siege for the past 10 years prepared to greet the vessel. At the same time as it was depriving the people of Gaza the right to embrace their sisters in solidarity yet again, Israel again subjected Gaza to a number of air strikes.
Undoubtedly, the Zaytouna’s load would not have been enough to meet the existential needs of Gazans; instead, it was merely intended as something small and symbolic. But beyond aid and charity, Gazans, who effectively reside in an open-air prison, seek freedom; the territory’s people desire liberation from the 10 years of the inhuman siege imposed by land, sea and air against them. Like previous land convoys and sea flotillas, the Zaytouna vessel sought to crack the siege and help secure Gaza’s freedom. In the most recent case, Israel used force once again to halt such efforts in front of the eyes of the world, escaping once more any sanction.
The massive gap between reality and the way the steps to normalize relations between Turkey and Israel have been presented to the public is seen most clearly in this incident. As was the case before the Turkish-Israeli deal, humanitarian aid for Gaza can only go through Ashdod Port, which is under occupation by Israel, before reaching Gaza; if the aid is deemed unacceptable by Zionist authorities, the aid is withheld from Gaza. The number of products on the prohibited listed reaches into the thousands.
The biggest irony is that Ashdod Port, the mandatory gateway for the aid Gaza requires, is also the place from which the Israeli warships departed to exercise force to halt the Zaytouna.
Above all, we as BDS Turkey salute the women who conducted this brave action with our deepest expression of solidarity.
We call on the Turkish and global public to speak up to ensure the protection of the activists’ basic human rights, particularly the right to life, and demand their immediate release.
In light of this most recent incident, we also call on the Turkish government to re-evaluate its steps for “normalization.”
We further call on international organizations, especially the United Nations, to implement the necessary legal proceedings against the occupying Zionist regime, which has violated international law countless times since its foundation but which has never been punished for these contraventions.
We note our determination to unreservedly continue with our struggle to enact a complete boycott against Israel in all areas with the aim of isolating the country.
BDS Turkey (The Boycott Israel for Palestine Initiative)
