​On the evening of May 21, Việt Nam time, Vietnamese citizen Tiêu Nguyễn Bảo Ngọc, also known as Bảo Ngọc Ashley, made an unexpected appearance and delivered remarks at an event in Istanbul, Turkey. The event, titled “Participants Arrival,” was livestreamed on the Global Sumud Flotilla’s (GSF) YouTube channel. 

The latest: Bảo Ngọc Ashley’s appearance occurred after nearly four days during which she was believed to have been detained and out of contact in international waters while serving as a crew member on the Barbarous, one of nine GSF vessels participating in an aid mission to the Gaza Strip in Palestine. The GSF fanpage announced the press conference almost simultaneously with the livestream.