Activists who were attacked and detained by Israel in international waters as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla and brought to Istanbul through Türkiye's efforts gave statements as part of the investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against Israel.
A total of 137 activists — including 36 Turks and 23 Malaysians — who filed complaints seeking Israel's prosecution in international courts, have undergone medical examinations at the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute. Authorities conducted detailed assessments of both their physical and psychological conditions.
Those with medical complaints and health issues were referred to healthcare institutions. At the Forensic Medicine Institute, 10 public prosecutors from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Terror Crimes Investigation Bureau took statements from activists with the assistance of interpreters. In their testimonies, the activists' allegations of inhumane treatment by Israel were included in the investigation file.
Here is what the activists described in their statements:
''There was an intervention. They handcuffed everyone's hands and stacked them on top of each other. We were taken off the ship and brought to a migration center. For 20 hours, we were held with our hands and eyes tied. During this time, our basic needs such as using the restroom and eating were not met. We were placed in cages and transported to prison—a journey that lasted 3.5 hours. To keep us awake, they repeatedly hit the cages with batons. We were kept awake for two days and subjected to strip searches.''
"THEY HIT MY PRIVATE PARTS WITH THEIR HANDS"
Evie Rose Snedker (26), a biologist and activist in England, said: ''I flew from England to Barcelona. I departed on the Adara ship. They surrounded our ship and took us to the port of Ashtod. They forced our heads down and forced us to look down. They took our jewelry and all our personal belongings. They physically assaulted me by hitting my feet. They took my passport and watch. They tightened the handcuffs so tightly that my wrists were injured. The female soldier ripped off my necklace. They pulled my hair, reaching down to the hairpin. While searching, they tried to expose my private parts by touching them in a manner inappropriate for human dignity. They hit my private parts with their hands. They took us to prison, where they gave us no food or water for two days. They prevented us from going to the toilet. I was menstruating at the time. They didn't even give me a sanitary pad. There were 15 people sleeping in a room meant for five. They welcomed us very warmly in Istanbul. I am very pleased with the interest and concern shown by the Turkish authorities.''
"THEY BEAT US WITH RIFLE BUTTS AND ROBBED OUR MONEY"
Ayoub Habraoui, a 29-year-old Moroccan writer, recounted his ordeal: "We set out from Tunisia aboard the ship Dar Yasin. Like pirates, they took us hostage and, using a laser sight on my head, demanded that everyone on board surrender. When they brought us ashore, they forced us to kneel and struck our backs with rifle butts. I spent three days in the detention center in the Nakap area, where they denied me water. Every two hours, they raided the place with dogs and guns. They robbed me of the $300 I had on me. I am filing a complaint demanding that the Israeli state be tried in international courts for these crimes under international law."
"WE WAITED FOR 20 HOURS WITH OUR EYES BOUND"
Abdallah Messaoudi, a 28-year-old Tunisian sailor, shared his experience: "I set out from Sicily, Italy, aboard the Der Yesin Mali ship. The first intervention happened 70 miles from Gaza. They handcuffed everyone's hands and stacked them on top of each other. We were taken off the ship and brought to a migration center. For 20 hours, we were held with our hands and eyes bound. During this time, our basic needs like using the restroom and eating were not met. We were then placed in cages and taken to prison—a 3.5-hour journey. To keep us awake, they repeatedly struck the cages with batons. We were kept awake for two days and subjected to strip searches."
"THEY ATTACKED US WITH A DRONE BOMB"
Haşmet Yazıcı, a 44-year-old Turkish doctor, recounted: "We set out from Sicily, Italy, aboard the sailing vessel Taigete. Our ship was attacked with a drone bomb, and our sail caught fire. Commandos raided our boat and took us to the port. A female security guard standing nearby insulted us, saying, 'Dirty Turks, you already smell bad.' Israeli Security Minister Ben Gvir was present in the area, and the police acted under his orders. They offered us three documents: the first was a statement saying 'I want to leave within 72 hours,' the second was a form related to unauthorized entry into Israel, and the third was a document in Hebrew. I refused to sign any of these papers."
"THEY MADE US DRINK WATER FROM THE TOILET FAUCET"
Mesut Çakar, a 33-year-old social media content creator, described the ordeal: "When we arrived at the Ashdod port, dozens of soldiers were waiting for us with smiles. We were forced to kneel in a prostration position on the hot asphalt, heads down, with our hands cuffed behind our backs for an hour. Our friend Mustafa Çakmakçı, who was on the ship with us, had his arm broken. They denied us water in prison, and we had to drink water from the toilet faucet. Our Australian friend Ebubekir was beaten during interrogation. Asthma patients were denied their medication."
"THEY DID NOT ALLOW ME TO PRAY"
Bekir Develi, a 50-year-old television presenter and writer, shared his experience: "We set out on the boat Australe to deliver aid to Gaza. I was held captive for 3 to 4 days. They denied me water and left me hungry. I was not even allowed to use the toilet. They handcuffed me from behind so tightly that I lost feeling in my fingers and wrist, and my hands turned purple. I have bruises on my back and body. We went without water for four days. When we tried to pray, they intervened. The boat was attacked countless times by drones, and attempts were made to sink it with boats. All my belongings were confiscated."
"THEY LOCKED US IN CAGES AND KEPT US AWAKE"
Abdullah Yonuıs Mohammad Ghabbash, a 54-year-old mechanical engineer from Saudi Arabia, recounted: "We set out from Barcelona, Spain, aboard the ship Alma, heading to Gaza. They placed us in cages that even animals wouldn't be kept in. In prison, they didn't let us sleep and neglected our basic human needs."
BRITISH ACTIVIST: "THEY ARE NOT HUMAN"
Sarah Wilkinson, a British activist participating in the Global Sumud Fleet and brought to Istanbul, said: "From what we experienced in the past three days, I have learned that Israelis are not human. They have hands and faces, but they are not like us. They are monsters."
Wilkinson also expressed her admiration for Türkiye, adding, "The welcome we received here moved me to tears. Hopefully, next time we will make it to Gaza."
"WE SAW A PAPER TIGER AND CAME"
Activist Ayçin Kantoğlu, referring to Israel, said: "We saw a paper tiger and came. We are not afraid of them. They committed extremely immoral acts. They even made a large cloth banner for the place where they held us female prisoners, printing the latest image of Gaza on it with the words 'Welcome to Gaza'—it was such a shameless act. They practically carry their crimes on themselves. We were subjected to strip searches and had to take everything off. At nearly every checkpoint, we were searched repeatedly. They even looked inside our mouths and between our teeth."
SWEDISH ACTIVIST GRETA THUNBERG SUBJECTED TO HARSH TREATMENT
Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, who joined the Global Sumud Fleet carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, was detained by Israeli authorities. According to correspondence shared with the Swedish Foreign Ministry, Thunberg was held in a cell infested with insects and subjected to harsh treatment.
Some fleet participants told the British newspaper The Guardian that Thunberg was forced to hold certain flags for photographs. Turkish activist Ersin Çelik described how Thunberg was dragged by her hair, beaten, and forced to kiss the Israeli flag. Italian journalist Lorenzo D'Agostino also reported that Thunberg was displayed wrapped in a flag.
