Turkey on Friday condemned what it called an “unacceptable attack” on a civilian aid ship bound for Gaza, but the reaction triggered backlash from activists and citizens who accused Ankara of hypocrisy, citing its earlier decision to block the same vessel from leaving Turkish waters.
The Conscience, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was sailing in international waters off Malta when it was reportedly targeted by unmanned aerial vehicles. The ship had 16 people on board, including Turkish nationals, and was attempting to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza.
“It has been learned that a ship named Conscience, belonging to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and carrying our citizens, was attacked while navigating in international waters off Malta,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Öncü Keçeli said in a statement posted on X.
“The crew and passengers are in good health,” Keçeli said. “Necessary efforts are being carried out in cooperation with the Maltese authorities to transfer our citizens to a safe location.”
Keçeli strongly condemned the attack, calling it a threat to “freedom of navigation and maritime security in international waters.” He also confirmed there were allegations that the vessel was targeted by Israeli drones. “All necessary efforts will be made to reveal the details of the attack and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice,” he added.
But the statement was met with harsh criticism online, where people accused the government of posturing after months of obstructing the same aid effort.
“Why did you unlawfully keep the Conscience in Haydarpaşa port for months? Why did you not grant exit permission?” a Turk asked on X. “Is simply condemning a drone attack on a ship with Turkish citizens on board all you have to offer?”
The Conscience was one of several vessels delayed in Turkey earlier this year when authorities withheld departure clearance, citing administrative problems. During their wait, two ships originally registered under Guinea-Bissau were stripped of their flags, rendering them unable to sail legally. Flotilla organizers accused Ankara of yielding to pressure from Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom to block the mission.
On Friday other Turkish users voiced anger at what they saw as weak follow-up by the government.
“Will we now let Netanyahu’s plane fly over our airspace as if nothing happened?” wrote one person. “This condemnation must be terrifying,” another added sarcastically.
Demands for retaliation and more direct action were widespread. “Israel hits a ship 1,900 kilometers away and we just issue statements?” one person wrote. Others questioned whether Turkey had responded to any distress signals and urged the government to pressure Malta to allow the ship to dock.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has long used pro-Palestinian rhetoric in public speeches and has criticized Israeli policy in Gaza. But his government’s limited support for direct aid missions like the Freedom Flotilla has raised questions about the gap between words and action. Despite a freeze in diplomatic ties after the deadly 2010 Mavi Marmara raid, Turkey and Israel resumed full relations in 2022.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has said it will continue to organize missions challenging the blockade of Gaza. As of Friday evening, there was no official response from Israel to the allegations about the drone strike.
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza following a Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 that resulted in the death of 1,206 people and the taking of some 250 hostages.
According to the health ministry in Gaza, the Israeli military has killed at least 52,495 Palestinians since October 7, 2023.
A report released by Amnesty International on December 5 concludes that Israel’s actions in Gaza qualify as genocide.
In its 2025 report, The State of the World’s Human Rights, Amnesty International described 2024 as the year the world became a passive audience to a “live-streamed genocide” in Gaza, as Israel killed thousands of Palestinians and razed entire communities. It warned that the continued arms transfers and political cover provided by powerful states, including the United States and Germany, revealed a global order willing to ignore genocide in plain sight.
Israel’s indiscriminate bombings and blockade have deprived the Gazan population of essentials such as food, water, fuel, electricity and medical supplies, resulting in a severe humanitarian crisis.