Watch: Pro-Palestinian Activists Protest Against Ship Carrying Explosives For Israel

The pro-Palestinian activists stormed the cargo ship MV Kathrin while it was docked at Istanbul’s Haydarpaşa port on November 4, 2024, demanding Turkey address loopholes allowing trade with Israel.

The protestors, affiliated with the Anatolian Youth Association, claimed that the ship was smuggling military-grade explosives bound for Israel.

The activists climbed aboard the MV Kathrin, where they filmed themselves waving Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans.

This comes after over a month of protests at the port, where they have criticized Turkey’s actions in blocking aid vessels bound for Gaza while engaging in trade that benefits Israeli interests.

There have been claims that shipments bound for Palestinian Ports are being diverted to Israel, even though Turkey suspended trade with Israel in May 2024.

Activists allege that Turkish businesses are circumventing the ban by sending goods through middlemen in Greece and other countries.

Last week, the Anatolian Youth Association reported that another Turkish-owned cargo vessel, Medkon Isik, was loading supplies bound for Israel.

Bir Müslüman ülkesinden, siyonist, katil israile dolaylı yada dolaysız hiçbir şeyin gitmesini istemiyoruz.

Siyonist israile giden hiçbir geminin limanlarımızda görünmesini dahi kabul etmiyoruz.

Büyükelçiliklerini istemiyoruz. Diplomatik bütün ilişkilerin kesilerek bölgede… pic.twitter.com/QfPBc3xXVC

— Salih TURHAN (@AGDSalihTURHAN) November 3, 2024

Video Credits: Salih TURHAN/X

The Turkish police rushed to the scene where the protestors were gathered and urged them to leave the ship. Those who resisted leaving were arrested, with reports claiming that around 16 people were detained and appeared in court.

The MV Kathrin has been involved in controversy since it departed from Vietnam in July, with allegations that it carries explosives. Due to concerns about its cargo, the ship was denied entry into several ports in Africa and Eastern Europe.

Human rights organizations suspect that the explosives may still be onboard or may have been offloaded in Europe, where the ship stopped under controversial conditions.

While the Egyptian authorities have denied any connection with Israel, saying that the ship was at a military facility to unload cargo for the Egyptian military, the MV Kathrin was allowed to leave for Turkey after providing documentation of its intended destination.

The German representatives of the ship said last week that it was never scheduled to sail to Israel.

Although activists admitted they were unclear about how any explosives would reach Israel, they were successful in convincing Portugal to cancel the ship’s registry before it was moved to Germany.

German officials then declined to interfere, saying that the materials onboard were not of German origin and thus did not require an export license.

The MV Kathrin is still anchored in Istanbul, receiving continuous criticism amid rising tension over Turkey’s trade connections with Israel during the conflict in Gaza.

Reference: TurkishMinute

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