Turkish Navy escorts Aid Fleet to Gaza, Raising Tensions in Eastern Mediterranean
World-today-News.com – Ankara has substantially escalated its support for the ”Global Sumud Fleet” – a humanitarian mission aiming to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza - deploying naval warships and aerial surveillance to accompany the vessels on their journey. The move has sparked a response from Greece, which views the Turkish presence as a demonstration of force.
The Sumud Fleet, the largest yet to attempt delivering aid to Gaza, is currently navigating waters near Crete and Cyprus, with two Turkish warships providing escort. This follows an earlier incident last week where the fleet was targeted by a drone attack, prompting support from Italian and Spanish frigates.
Turkey is also providing extensive aerial coverage. Two turkish unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), identified by call signs Vatoz21 and Vatoz22, have been continuously monitoring the fleet’s progress, operating just kilometers from the greek island of Crete. Flightradar24 data confirms the continued presence of these UAVs as of Monday.
Greek Concerns & Military Response
The Turkish military presence has drawn criticism from Athens. The Greek City Times Portal characterized the deployment as a “power show attempt” by Turkey,reporting that the Greek Navy dispatched a patrol boat to the area and deployed naval forces nearby. Greek F-16 fighter jets have also initiated observation flights over the region.
“The Greek army views Turkey’s actions as a display of strength in the region,” the report stated.
Neither the Turkish Foreign Ministry nor the Ministry of National defense have issued official statements regarding their support for the fleet.However, an activist aboard one of the vessels told the Anka News Agency that Turkish warships made contact with all ships in the fleet, offering accompaniment and assistance. The agency also reported that reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft originating from a naval air base in Dalaman, Turkey, are actively monitoring the situation.
