Indonesian nationals taking part in Gaza flotilla undergo examinations in Türkiye before returning home

Jakarta (ANTARA) - All nine Indonesian citizens (WNI) who took part in the humanitarian flotilla to the Gaza Strip and were released from Israeli prison will undergo a series of checks before returning to Indonesia. ‘There will be a process of testimony, visa processing, and health tests by Turkish authorities,’ said Indonesian Ambassador to Türkiye Achmad Rizal Purnama in a text message to Jakarta on Friday. He assured that the Indonesians who joined the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) 2.0 will be repatriated to Indonesia as soon as the checks are completed. ‘As soon as the process in Türkiye is finished, we will repatriate them,’ said Ambassador Rizal. Anadolu’s report stated that all GSF volunteers released need to undergo further checks as part of an Istanbul prosecutor’s investigation. They were taken to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute after arriving at Istanbul airport. The nine Indonesians’ arrival in Istanbul following their release from Israeli prisons had been confirmed by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry earlier. As Rizal noted, Heni Hamidah, Director for Protection of Indonesians at the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, also said that before returning home, the WNI must complete several procedures in Istanbul. ‘They will certainly be repatriated as soon as the process is complete,’ she said. The nine Indonesians were greeted by the Indonesian Consul General in Istanbul Darianto Harsono upon arrival in Türkiye’s capital after being held by Zionist authorities, with the meeting reported in a video posted on Instagram @menluri, accompanied by the nine Indonesians. However, the Indonesians did not escape physical violence by Israeli forces. Consul Darianto said they reported being beaten, kicked, and electrocuted while in detention. The nine Indonesians also spoke with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono via video call. All Global Sumud Flotilla volunteers from various countries had been released from Israeli prisons after their ships were seized by Zionist forces earlier this week. They are in the process of deportation and repatriation out of Israeli territory toward Türkiye.