Turkey appears to be using drones to monitor the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, according to flight-tracking websites and open-source commentators.
The drones emerged over the last two days and seem to be high-level, large UAVs that can fly for many hours at a time. They appear to be circling over areas near the flotilla, and they seem to be flying from Turkey.
Ankara may be rotating several drones on station over the flotilla as the group of 40 vessels slowly makes its way southeast of Crete.
“Tensions flared in the Eastern Mediterranean on Friday as Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and a frigate operated just south of Crete, citing the ‘protection’ of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a group of vessels sailing toward the Gaza Strip carrying humanitarian aid,” the Greek City Times news site reported.
The flotilla left the waters off Crete on Saturday after having anchored near the island of Koufonisia. It had traveled about 55 nautical miles by Sunday morning.
It was unclear what type of drone Ankara might be using to monitor the flotilla. The Turkish-made TAI Anka drone can fly for more than 24 hours, and its Anka-S variant is capable of operating for up to 30 hours at altitudes as high as 30,000 feet. At that height, the drone would not be visible from the flotilla.
The possible presence of a Turkish drone adds to the number of militaries responding to the flotilla. Italy and Spain said they would send naval ships on September 24 to monitor or possibly assist the flotilla after the group claimed to be attacked by drones on the evening between September 23 and September 24.
Italy then said it would send a second vessel. One of these ships apparently arrived on September 25. An NGO called EMERGENCY also sent a large support vessel Life Support.
The Turkish drone was flying with the call sign VATOZ21, according to Greek City Times and online commentators who follow open-source flight data.
“A Turkish UAV with the call sign VATOZ21 has been flying continuously over the flotilla, monitoring activity only a few kilometers off the Cretan coast,” Greek City Times reported. “A second Turkish drone was also launched in the same area on Thursday, reinforcing Ankara’s aerial presence.”
A Turkish frigate had been spotted, the report said. Notably, Turkey and Egypt recently conducted naval drills.
Greece’s Hellenic Coast Guard has been monitoring the flotilla as well, while Greek F-16 jets conducted flights near it, Greek City Times reported.
This is the 'last stretch'
Turkish media is closely following the progress of the flotilla. Ankara has been strongly supportive of the Palestinians and very anti-Israel over the past several years.
Meanwhile, the flotilla’s organizers said this was their “last stretch” as they head toward Gaza from Greece.
“The last stretch is here,” they said Sunday. “After weeks at sea, the flotilla sails with the prayers of millions and the hopes of Gaza’s children.”
The flotilla was 400 nautical miles from Gaza on Sunday. It would take at least three more days of sailing to reach the coast of Israel at its current pace.
It changed course slightly to head toward the Egyptian Port of Alexandria. It was unclear whether it would stop in Egypt on the way to Gaza. If it continues at its present pace, it could take four days to reach the enclave, meaning it would arrive on Yom Kippur.
If it stops in Egypt, however, this would add several more days to the trip. Moving slowly, the flotilla has been progressing at the speed of about four to five knots an hour.