Three Turkish planes fly to Israel to take Turkish citizens home

ANKARA, JUNE 2, ARMENPRESS: Three planes belonging to the Turkish Airlines left for Israel on Wednesday to bring home Turkish citizens detained during an attack on ships of a humanitarian ship convoy heading for Gaza, Anatolia News Agency said.

Two planes Airbus- 321 and one Boeing -777 are to arrive in Tel Aviv. According to the Turkish authorities, the overall number of Turkish citizens who took part in the Freedom Flotilla humanitarian convoy was 350-400, including deputies, representatives of public organizations and journalists.

The three planes the Turkish Airlines specially provided for the purpose had been on standby by Tuesday morning, but the Israeli side delayed a permission to the transportation of the detained citizens. Last night it was announced that Israel made a decision to immediately release around 680 foreign citizens.

On Tuesday three sanitary planes belonging to the Turkish General Headquarters and the Health Ministry arrived in Israel. The planes took aboard twenty Turkish citizens wounded when one of the flotilla ships was seized and later admitted to Turkish clinics for treatment.