ISTANBUL, (PIC)
The delegation of the “Palestine Flotilla” in Türkiye announced the completion of its preparations to launch the Flotilla from France on July 26, in a land journey aiming to reach Palestine, within the framework of a movement aimed at breaking the siege imposed on it.
The announcement came during an introductory event for the Flotilla held at the ” Çemberlitaş Youth Center” in Istanbul, with the participation of activists and human rights defenders.
The coordinator of the delegation, Huseyin Durmaz, stressed the commitment of those in charge of the initiative to continue their efforts to reach Palestine and the Gaza Strip, pointing out that the world is witnessing, for the first time in history, “a massacre live on air.”
Durmaz added that what is happening has left deep wounds in the conscience of humanity, and has led to a wide wave of anger among people of living conscience, which has turned into movements and solidarity initiatives worldwide.
He considered that Israel continues to violate ceasefire agreements, alongside the continuation of the tight siege on the Gaza Strip, pointing to the use of wide propaganda campaigns across digital space to obliterate facts, and emphasizing the importance of enhancing digital activity to maintain the presence of the Palestinian cause on the global agenda.
In this context, the coordinator of relations with civil society organizations in the delegation, Davut Taskiran, explained that the Flotilla will begin its journey from France, before heading to Bosnia and Herzegovina to organize supportive events in cooperation with the Bosnian people.
He indicated that Istanbul will be the second station, and from there the Flotilla will tour nine Turkish provinces, which are: Bursa, Ankara, Konya, Adana, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Diyarbakir, Mardin, and Sirnak, aiming to expand participation and attract more solidarity activists.
Taskiran pointed out that the Flotilla plans to reach Palestine via Iraq then Jordan, explaining that this land route has not been tried before, and that the participants are preparing to embark on it for the first time amid great turnout and enthusiasm.
He also noted that the delegation will organize special training in Istanbul on civil work and activism for participating activists from Türkiye and European countries, stressing that these movements, despite the difficulties they may face, carry a message of solidarity to Palestinians and confirm that they are not alone.
The program included the participation of the Palestinian child, Tasneem Alwan, from the Gaza Strip via visual communication technology, where she expressed her thanks to Türkiye and to the peoples supporting the Palestinian cause, and reviewed the difficult humanitarian conditions in the Strip, pointing to the acute shortage of food and clean drinking water and the significant rise in prices.
It is expected that the Flotilla will witness the participation of activists from ten European countries, in a journey that takes around twenty days before reaching the Palestinian territories.