The sailboat Madleen, which carried Greta Thunberg and 11 other activists on a humanitarian mission to Gaza, was intercepted by the Israeli navy on Monday morning (9 June 2025) as it attempted to break the Israeli blockade. While the mission drew international media attention, less known are the affiliations behind the flotilla and their controversial connections.
Ties to Turkish NGOs with a militant past
The Madleen was sailing under the banner of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), an organisation established in 2010 to campaign for an end to the Gaza blockade. Among its founding partners is the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, a Turkish NGO with deep ties to the Turkish government and President Erdoğan’s AKP party.
The IHH co-organised the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla, which ended in tragedy when Israeli forces raided the vessel, killing nine people. Notably, Turkey was the first to condemn the Madleen’s interception this week.
Allegations of covert activity and terrorism links
Multiple reports and judicial documents have linked the IHH to illegal operations and extremist groups. The organisation has been described as a tool of Turkey’s soft power, and its ties to the Turkish intelligence service (MIT) have raised concerns. In 2014, an investigation into IHH trucks allegedly transporting weapons to jihadist groups in Syria was abruptly halted by Turkish authorities, citing “state secrets.”
In 2021, former ISIS members testified in court that IHH had helped transfer women and weapons between Turkey and ISIS-controlled areas in Syria. Turkish police previously noted that IHH branches in Kilis and Kayseri provided funding to al-Qaeda fighters.
Evidence presented during the trial for the 2015 Ankara bombing suggested the IHH provided “humanitarian aid” to ISIS operatives.
Financial links to Hezbollah and Hamas
A recent 2025 report alleges that Turkey has used the IHH to funnel cash to Hezbollah in Lebanon via air travel, as part of broader coordination between Ankara and Tehran to support Islamist groups. The IHH has also been linked to the “Union of the Good”, a network accused of funding Hamas and the families of suicide bombers.
The organisation is reportedly partially funded by Qatar Charity, which has a documented history of supporting radical Islamist factions.
Sources:
– Al Qaeda funding
– IHH terrorism links
– Hezbollah financing
Also read: Greta Thunberg deported from Israel after Gaza boat seized
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