Türkiye’s 17th Ship of Goodwill is a maritime humanitarian mission organized under the coordination of the Presidency of Disaster and Emergency Management (AFAD) with the support of 17 civil society organizations, aimed at delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. The vessel named “Akdeniz” departed from Mersin Port on 14 October 2025 carrying 900 tons of food, baby formula, canned goods and essential supplies, and arrived at Egypt’s El-Arish Port on 17 October.
Preparation and Coordination Process
The 17th “Ship of Goodwill” is part of international humanitarian assistance efforts led by the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Türkiye, AFAD, and the Turkish Red Crescent. Seventeen civil society organizations participated in the preparations coordinated by AFAD. The aid cargo included approximately 900 tons of rapidly consumable food, baby formula, canned goods and essential items. According to AFAD data, since 7 October 2023, Türkiye has delivered a total of 102,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza via 14 aircraft and 16 ships, and the 17th “Ship of Goodwill” was planned as a continuation of this effort.
Farewell Ceremony (14 October 2025, Mersin Port)
The farewell ceremony for the vessel took place on 14 October 2025 at Mersin International Port. Attendees included Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya, AFAD President Ali Hamza Pehlivan, Governor of Mersin Atilla Toros, and numerous representatives from civil society organizations.
In his speech at the ceremony, Minister Yerlikaya stated that the ship was carrying 900 tons of aid destined for El-Arish Port in Egypt. He also confirmed that since 7 October 2023, Türkiye had conducted 14 air and 16 sea shipments of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Yerlikaya emphasized that the humanitarian relief campaign for Gaza was being sustained with determination and noted that as of 27 July 2025, 333 trucks (approximately 4,500 tons) of aid had passed through the Refah Border Gate.
Journey Process
After a maritime journey of approximately 48 hours, the vessel “Akdeniz” reached the waters off El-Arish Port, Egypt, on 16 October 2025, and awaited completion of the required legal procedures for port entry.
On 17 October 2025, following the completion of legal formalities, the ship docked at El-Arish Port. This mission holds the distinction of being the first maritime aid shipment to reach the region following the ceasefire.
In Egypt, the vessel was met by Seyfettin Karabulut, Director of AFAD’s International Humanitarian Aid Department, AFAD personnel, and volunteers from the Turkish and Egyptian Red Crescents. Karabulut announced that Türkiye had delivered a total of 102,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza since 7 October 2023 and confirmed that the 17th “Ship of Goodwill” was the first aid vessel to reach the area after the ceasefire.
Unloading and Distribution of Aid Supplies
The unloading of the aid supplies aboard the vessel continued for two days following 17 October. Approximately 900 tons of aid were loaded onto 52 trucks. The cargo included baby formula, ready-to-eat food products, canned goods and essential items. The trucks were directed toward Gaza via the Refah Border Gate in cooperation with the Egyptian Red Crescent. On 18 October, 25 trucks departed for Gaza, and the loading of the remaining aid was completed on 19 October.
AFAD teams recorded the license plate, driver and cargo details of every truck during loading and unloading operations and maintained 24/7 coordination to ensure the safe execution of the transport.
Completion of the Operation
Following the full transfer of aid supplies onto trucks, the “Akdeniz” vessel departed from El-Arish Port, Egypt, on 19 October 2025, returning to Türkiye. With this shipment, the total amount of humanitarian aid delivered by Türkiye to Gaza since October 2023 reached 102,625 tons. The dispatch of aid was carried out through the cooperation of the Turkish and Egyptian Red Crescents under AFAD coordination.
