The lawyers stated that there is no legal basis for the denial of the ship's departure and called for an immediate reversal of this decision, urging that the *Vicdan Gemisi* be granted permission to set sail.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, composed of dozens of NGOs from 12 different countries, was preparing to set sail to Gaza with its fleet of ships to deliver humanitarian aid. One of the goals of the voyage was to raise awareness for Gaza and to promote peace and prosperity in the Mediterranean.

As one of the two representatives of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition in Turkey, the Mavi Marmara Association was planning to send the *Vicdan Gemisi* to Gaza along with other coalition ships.

Regarding the current situation of the *Vicdan Gemisi*, which has not been issued the necessary port departure documents, the lawyers made the following statements:

"The *Vicdan Gemisi* aims to break the illegal maritime blockade that violates international law and deliver humanitarian aid. Turkey’s decision to block the ship risks aligning it with those complicit in this genocide."

"At this point, Turkey’s refusal to grant passage to the *Vicdan Gemisi* is a clear violation of international law and humanitarian responsibilities. The Ministry of Transport’s stance not only contradicts our national laws but also breaches international law."

While a commercial ship bound for Israel could obtain its departure papers in 15 minutes, the *Vicdan Gemisi* has been held at Haydarpaşa Port for nearly 60 days. The lawyers, who pointed out how quickly port exit documents could be processed, further emphasized the mission of the *Vicdan Gemisi* in their statement:

"Although the mission of the *Vicdan Gemisi*, as part of the flotilla, has been updated to raise awareness about Palestine by visiting European ports, the Ministry of Transport has detained the ship at port and refused its departure."

"The ministry has delayed the simple and swift process of issuing the port departure documents for over 54 days, knowingly or unknowingly facilitating Israel's efforts to obstruct the flotilla's mission."