While the Freedom Vigil Continues, the Vicdan Ship is Still Being Unlawfully Held at Haydarpaşa Port!
Since 2006, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has conducted 15 humanitarian activism operations at various times to break the blockade and ensure the rapid delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinian territories. Since 2006, the Coalition has always stood for peace, justice, freedom, and solidarity, especially in Gaza and generally in all Palestinian territories, against the Zionist occupation forces.
According to the United Nations report published on April 26, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition's peaceful action against Israel's genocide in Gaza is supported and deemed beneficial for a ceasefire. As we approach the anniversary of the genocide, Israel has escalated the genocide in Gaza, increasing its intensity daily, despite condemnations from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the United Nations (UN), the Arab Summit, and numerous other states.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, and has turned into one of the largest genocides in history, is intensifying daily. Although the official death toll is no longer tracked, unofficial reports indicate that more than half a million people have been brutally massacred, and many bodies remain trapped under rubble.
As the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, we have completed preparations to embark on our journey under the slogan "Break the Siege!" with organizations from 12 countries, including the UK, Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, the United States, and New Zealand, and participants from 52 different countries. The coalition includes ships from various nations, with the Vicdan Ship from Turkey's Mavi Marmara Freedom and Solidarity Association set to participate. The first and most important mission of these ships is to tour European ports to raise awareness for Gaza and later sail to the Mediterranean as per the coalition's decision. The Vicdan Ship, located at Istanbul’s Haydarpaşa Port, applied for a port exit permit 68 days ago. In Turkey, such exit procedures typically take just 15 minutes, yet no justification has been provided for denying the Vicdan Ship's permit. Even our democratic right to submit a petition to the Istanbul Port Authority, under the Ministry of Transport, has been unlawfully rejected. After a 5-day legal battle through our lawyers, we finally submitted our official petition on August 20. Despite the passing days, the Ministry of Transport has neither responded to our diplomacy efforts nor addressed our legally mandated petition.
In response to this unlawful stance by the Ministry of Transport, we initiated a Freedom Vigil 24 days ago by chaining ourselves to the gate of Haydarpaşa Port’s C entrance and handcuffing ourselves to the chain to protest the unjust prevention of the Vicdan Ship’s departure. Our goal in this vigil is to remind the Ministry of Transport of its wrongdoing in unlawfully holding the Vicdan Ship, which belongs to the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition, and to demand the ship's immediate release from the port, in accordance with legal procedures.
However, what has happened during this time? The Ministry of Transport has continued to play deaf to our demands. No explanation has been provided regarding the unlawful detention of our ship. Furthermore, we have been fined thousands of dollars for parking, waste management, and technical expenses for the Vicdan Ship, which has been unlawfully held at the port. Imposing such penalties on a ship that is not allowed to leave the port undermines Turkey’s legal and justice systems, as arbitrary decisions violate all maritime laws.
Diplomats, doctors, journalists, lawyers, emergency workers, and activists from 52 countries worldwide believe that the global conscience’s civil power is a vital element in pushing for a ceasefire, as the world remains silent in the face of the Gaza genocide, which has been ongoing for a year.
Zionist forces, which have already set fire to Gaza with their genocide and now aim to extend this fire to Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria, continue to pose a significant threat to the people of the world, including our own country, unless stopped. The war, which has now reached within 500 kilometers of our borders, will soon reach our doorstep if a ceasefire is not achieved in Gaza. If the Freedom Flotilla had set sail, Israel would not have dared to attack Lebanon today. The global conscience is waiting for a signature to react appropriately to Israel’s oppressive politics.
From here, at the Haydarpaşa Port where the Vicdan Ship is blocked, we call out to all authorities:
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, composed entirely of civil activists, has taken a concrete step where the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, with its 57 members, and European countries have failed to do so.
With the call President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made at the United Nations to international civil society organizations, the global conscience has been summoned to action to stop the genocide in Gaza. Responding to this call, all preparations have been completed, with 52 countries worldwide ready to stop the genocide—only waiting for a signature.
We believe that this unlawful stance against the Vicdan Ship, which has been preparing for months to travel the world's ports with peaceful activism to stop this genocide, will be abandoned as soon as possible.
In 2010, the world saw the true face of Israel for the first time through the Mavi Marmara Ship, and the true face of FETÖ terrorism, which had influenced Turkey's domestic politics, became evident after this event. Political barriers to Turkey's defense industry breakthroughs were lifted with the Mavi Marmara, and the local/national industry understanding became much clearer after this incident.
After 24 days here, we must clearly state: Placing political obstacles in the way of the Vicdan Ship risks becoming a partner in genocide. Blocking the Freedom Flotilla means ignoring the conscience of the world. This obstruction against activists rising worldwide will not be forgotten by history or humanity.
To the Ministry of Transport, our responsible authority, we want to say: It’s not too late for anything. If you allow these ships, which will be the most crucial element in ensuring a ceasefire in Gaza, to set sail today, neither humanity nor history will forget your stance. We will not leave the Vicdan Ship and will continue to wait here until we obtain the signature we are entitled to! We present this to the attention of the public.
On behalf of the International Freedom Flotilla Coalition,
Mavi Marmara Freedom and Solidarity Association