Turkey blocks Gaza-bound aid flotilla from sailing, organizers say

ANKARA — Turkish authorities have blocked a humanitarian flotilla to bring aid to Gaza and break the Israeli blockade on the Palestinian enclave from departing Istanbul, the organizers said.

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international group of several humanitarian relief organizations and pro-Palestinian activists, said in a statement on Saturday that the organizers have long been waiting for the Istanbul port authority to issue permission for the flotilla to sail.

“It has now become clear that the Turkish government will not grant permission,” the statement said.

It added that the government failed to provide “any explanation” for not allowing the flotilla to sail, but placed the blame on “intense pressure from the United States, the United Kingdom, and perhaps other NATO countries that are strongly allied with Israel.”