Anwar's Leadership, Good Relationship With Turkiye Were Key To Release Of GSF Activists

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- Malaysians of various faiths and ages can finally breathe a sigh of relief as all 23 national activists who participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) humanitarian mission have been successfully released and are now in Istanbul, Türkiye.

All Malaysian citizens, who had been detained by the Zionist regime since Thursday, departed from Ramon Airport, Israel, at 6:45 pm Malaysian time before arriving in Istanbul at 8:40 pm Malaysian time.

The strong relationship between Malaysia and Türkiye was evident, as all Malaysian delegates were transported out of Israel on a commercial Turkish Airlines flight, which was fully managed and sponsored by the Turkish government. Türkiye is also sponsoring their accommodation before their return flight home on Monday.

Professor Datuk Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, a lecturer at the Centre for Social Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), said the credibility of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was clearly proven in the effort to ensure the successful release of the 23 Malaysian delegates from GSF.

He said Anwar demonstrated responsive and proactive leadership by prioritising the safety of citizens, simultaneously reflecting Malaysia's solidarity with Palestine and affirming the country's stand on the issues of justice and human rights at the international level.

"The Prime Minister has been very vocal in rejecting Israel's aggression and is considered one of the main spokespersons in defending the land of Palestine. At the same time, diplomatically, he showed skill in utilising official channels and international relations to protect the people and uphold humanitarian values," he said when contacted by Bernama.

In a live Facebook broadcast this evening, the Prime Minister said the release process involved close international coordination, including discussions by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan with the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and the Government of Jordan, as well as Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail with the US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.

He added that the success was also the result of his own negotiations with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, as well as the President of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Türkiye's Chief of National Security, Dr Ibrahim Kalin.

According to the Prime Minister, the planning and negotiations to bring back and rescue the victims were not limited only to the safety of the Malaysian and Turkish delegations but also involved activists from Europe and other countries.

Anwar also described the 23 Malaysians as national heroes and heroines because, despite knowing the difficulties and challenges awaiting the GSF mission, they remained firm in their efforts to break the Zionist siege to help the oppressed people of Gaza.

Last Thursday, 23 Malaysian activists who joined the GSF mission were detained by the Zionist regime's military after their ships were intercepted in the R3 Red Zone waters in the Mediterranean Sea, before being taken to Ashdod port, Israel.

The Malaysians detained included singer Heliza Helmi and her sister, Nur Hazwani Afiqah (Hio vessel); Nurfarahin Romli (Farah Lee) and Danish Nazran Murad (Grande Blu vessel); singer Zizi Kirana (Huga vessel); and social media personality Nurul Hidayah Mohd Amin (better known as Ardell Aryana) (Mikeno vessel).

Also part of the mission were Musa Nuwayri, Iylia Balqis, Sul Aidil (Alma vessel); Haikal Abdullah, Muaz Zainal, Zulfadhli Khiruddin, Rusydi Ramli (Sirius vessel); Razali Awang (Inana vessel); PU Rahmat, Norhelmi Ab Ghani, Mohd Asmawi Mukhtar, Norazman Ishak (Estrella vessel); Zainal Rashid, Ustaz Muhammad Abdullah (Fair Lady vessel); and Muhammad Hareez Adzrami (Haroqs), Muhd Haikal Luqman Zulkefli, and Taufiq Mohd Razif (Free Willy vessel).

The GSF, which involved over 500 activists from 45 countries, sailed towards Gaza as a symbol of solidarity and an effort to break the Israeli blockade, while delivering humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.

-- BERNAMA