KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed his appreciation to the Turkish government for assisting in the repatriation from Israel of nine Malaysians who participated in the Freedom Flotilla Coalition-Thousand Madleens to Gaza (FFC x TMTG).
"Nine more of our heroes and heroines have safely arrived in Istanbul, Türkiye," he said in a Facebook post on Friday (Oct 10) night.
He said government machinery under the Foreign Ministry would ensure the smooth process of bringing them home soon.
Earlier, the Foreign Ministry confirmed that all nine had been deported from Israel on Turkish Airlines flight TK6921 and arrived in Istanbul, Türkiye, at 7.30pm Malaysian time.
The FFC x TMTG humanitarian mission involved about 150 activists from 25 countries on board nine vessels, including the Conscience and Umm Saad, which were intercepted by Zionist forces less than 120 nautical miles from Gaza on Wednesday. They were taken to Ashdod Port and later transferred to Ketziot Prison in Negev, Israel.
The eight Malaysians aboard the Conscience were Malaysian delegation head Prof Emeritus Dr Mohd Alauddin, Dr Fauziah Mohd Hassan, Dr Hafiz Sulaiman, Dr Ili Syakira Mohd Suhaimi, Prof Dr Mohd Afandi Salleh, Dr Noorhasyimah Ismail, Norsham Abu Bakar and Astro Awani journalist Syafik Shukri Abdul Jalil, while another doctor, Dr Maziah Muhammad, was on board the Umm Saad. – Bernama
