(image credit: Wikimedia)
A group of Turkish activists has been staging a sit-in for over 75 days outside Istanbul's Port of Haydarpasa to protest against the government’s decision to block an aid vessel from departing for Gaza.
Organised by the Mavi Marmara Freedom and Solidarity Association, the demonstrations began after the Turkish port authorities barred the association from entering the harbour and accessing their aid boat, dubbed the Conscience.
“This decision is a disgrace in the country’s maritime history,” said the association’s chairman, Behesti Ismail Songur. “Entry to the ship is being blocked arbitrarily, and even the crew is being prevented from boarding. No accusations, court decisions, or legal proceedings justify this. The fact that this obstruction comes from Turkey’s ministry of transport is a political disgrace.”
The association has filed multiple complaints and appeals against the government’s decision, but none have been addressed so far.
The ban, which the association deems unjustified and unlawful, has highlighted growing public pressure against the government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan to take further action against Israel over its assault on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
Read the full analysis by The Middle East Eye
