Azerbaijani citizens detained by Israel to be repatriated to Türkiye, Foreign Ministry says

Two Azerbaijani nationals detained by Israeli authorities aboard a ship bound for Gaza will be released and returned to Türkiye, according to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada said the two men — Parvin Azimov and Orkhan Samadzade — were members of the vessel’s crew and currently work in Türkiye, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

“The Azerbaijani citizens detained aboard the ship will be freed and returned to Türkiye, where they are employed,” Hajizada said.

“Our embassy in Israel is taking the necessary steps to ensure their release and return, in line with their own wishes.”

The vessel had reportedly been en route to Gaza carrying humanitarian aid when it was intercepted by Israeli forces.

On October 8, the Israeli military intercepted a nine-boat flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea as it attempted to breach Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. The flotilla, organised by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and the Thousand Madleens initiative, was en route to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed the operation, stating that the 145 activists on board were in good health and would be deported after processing in Israel.

The flotilla's organisers condemned the interception, labelling it an illegal hijacking and asserting that the participants, including doctors and journalists, were detained unlawfully. They emphasised that the mission aimed to provide essential medical supplies and food to Gaza's overwhelmed hospitals.

This incident follows the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which included high-profile figures such as climate activist Greta Thunberg and European lawmakers. Israel maintains that its naval blockade is a legal measure for security purposes, while critics argue that it exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

By Aghakazim Guliyev