NINE Malaysian citizens who were detained by Israeli forces during the Freedom Flotilla Coalition – Thousand Madleens to Gaza (FFC x TMTG) humanitarian mission have safely arrived in Istanbul, Turkiye, and are expected to return to Malaysia on Sunday.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed his gratitude to the government of Turkiye for facilitating their evacuation from Israel.
““Praise be to Allah SWT, nine more of our heroes and heroines have safely arrived in Istanbul, Turkiye.”,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Friday evening.
He confirmed that the government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Istanbul, is coordinating efforts to ensure the group’s smooth repatriation in the coming days.
Earlier, the Foreign Ministry confirmed the group had been flown out of Israel on Turkish Airlines flight TK6921, arriving in Istanbul at 2:30pm local time (7:30pm Malaysian time).
The nine Malaysians were part of a multinational flotilla of approximately 150 activists from 25 countries aboard nine vessels, including the *Conscience* and *Umm Saad*.
The fleet was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters, approximately 120 nautical miles off Gaza, last Wednesday. The vessels were subsequently towed to Ashdod Port and the activists transferred to Ketziot Prison in Israel’s Negev desert.
The Malaysian contingent aboard the *Conscience* included mission leader Prof Emeritus Dr Mohd Alauddin Mohd Ali, Dr Fauziah 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. A ninth Malaysian, Dr Maziah Muhammad, was aboard the *Umm Saad*.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan also shared an update on the group’s safe arrival in Turkiye.
“Alhamdulillah warga Malaysia yang ditahan oleh regim zionis Israel selamat sampai di Istanbul sebentar tadi,” he said in a Facebook post.
He added that the group will depart Istanbul on Turkish Airlines flight TK60 at 1:40am on Sunday and are scheduled to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at 5:05pm the same day.
The mission, part of a broader humanitarian effort to draw attention to the situation in Gaza, was launched in defiance of Israel’s naval blockade. While the flotilla did not reach its intended destination, the safe release of the detained activists has been welcomed by Malaysian authorities.
This latest development marks a successful conclusion to the Malaysian delegation’s ordeal, with official efforts now focused on securing their safe return home. - October11, 2025
