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 mission.
He confirmed their safe arrival in Istanbul through a Facebook post tonight.
Government machinery under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Istanbul will ensure the smooth process of bringing them home soon.
The Foreign Ministry earlier confirmed that all nine had been deported from Israel on Turkish Airlines flight TK6921.
They arrived in Istanbul at 2.30 pm local time which corresponds to 7.30 pm Malaysian time.
The humanitarian mission involved about 150 activists from 25 countries on board nine vessels.
These vessels included the Conscience and Umm Saad which were intercepted by Zionist forces less than 120 nautical miles from Gaza last Wednesday.
The activists were taken to Ashdod Port and later transferred to Ketziot Prison in Negev, Israel.
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.
Another doctor, Dr Maziah Muhammad, was on board the Umm Saad. – Bernama
