Ankara evacuates 100 more Turks, Turkish Cypriots from Gaza

ANKARA

Türkiye has evacuated another 100 individuals from Gaza, including Turkish and Turkish Cypriot citizens along with their relatives, according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

The evacuees crossed the Rafah border gate, the only route out of the region not controlled by Israel, and reached Egypt, Öncü Keçeli said late on Nov. 21.

Keçeli emphasized that the group is scheduled to be transferred to Cairo. From there, the Turkish citizens and their relatives were expected to be flown back to Türkiye yesterday.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca provided an update on the evacuation process for patients from the region. Koca revealed that 50 more individuals are planned to be brought to Türkiye as part of the third evacuation expedition scheduled for this week.

Speaking to journalists in the parliament, Koca highlighted that a total of 150 people, including 88 patients and 62 companions, have already been evacuated from Gaza.

Currently, 48 of the patients are receiving medical care at Bilkent city hospital, Ankara, while 40 others are being treated at Etlik city hospital in the capital. Six patients are currently in intensive care.

Among the evacuated patients, Koca specified that four are suffering from blood diseases, while the rest are oncology patients. Notably, these individuals were primarily brought from the Turkish-run hospital in Gaza struck by Israeli forces.

Koca acknowledged the collaborative efforts of a coordination team comprising health ministries from Israel, Egypt and Türkiye. The team is working on organizing the third evacuation expedition, with a focus on prioritizing the evacuation of babies and children.