A Turkish activist who was aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla has said that Israeli forces subjected Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, also a mission participant, to severe torture after vessels were seized in international waters.
Ersin Celik, who was among those detained and arrived in Istanbul on Saturday, told CNN Turk that Israeli soldiers subjected Thunberg, 22, to degrading treatment while in custody.
"They (Israeli forces) severely tortured Greta before our eyes," Celik said. "They persecuted her — Greta is just a little child. They made her crawl and made her kiss the Israeli flag. They did exactly what the Nazis did once."
"They displayed her publicly. And because she is a popular figure, they specifically targeted her."
A plane carrying activists from the humanitarian mission, who were attacked and detained by Israel in international waters, landed at the Istanbul Airport on Saturday afternoon.
The plane, which departed from Ramon Airport in Eilat, Israel, arrived at the airport at 3.50 pm local time (1250 GMT).
As many as 137 people from the humanitarian flotilla, including 36 Turkish and 23 Malaysian citizens, arrived by the flight.
It was not clear if Thunberg had been deported or was still in Israeli custody. She was also part of the Madleen, a vessel that attempted to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza by sea in June but was intercepted by Israeli naval forces.
