The first batch of Ghanaians evacuated from Iran to Turkey

The government of Ghana has successfully evacuated the first group of its nationals from Iran to Turkey, as part of an emergency response to rising tensions in the Middle East. At the same time, those in Israel will also be considered as soon as possible.

In a Facebook post on Friday, June 20, Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stated that a separate meeting was held earlier this week with the Ambassadors of Israel and Iran to discuss the safety and evacuation of Ghanaians currently residing in these countries.

The meeting, according to him, led to the evacuation exercise.

“So far, the first batch of Ghanaians in Iran has been evacuated to Turkey successfully. Our fellow nationals living in Israel will be evacuated shortly,” he said.

According to the Minister, the engagements with Israeli Ambassador H.E. Roey Gilad on Tuesday and Iranian Ambassador H.E. Ali Ghomshi on Wednesday formed part of President John Mahama’s administration’s emergency evacuation strategy.

The discussions were aimed at securing border access approvals and ensuring the safe passage of Ghanaian nationals as hostilities escalate in the region.

Beyond the evacuation efforts, the meetings also served as an opportunity to deepen Ghana’s understanding of the ongoing conflict and to reinforce its diplomatic stance.

The Minister disclosed that he used the platform to express Ghana’s strong displeasure at recent public comments by the Israeli Ambassador, who questioned Ghana’s voting record at various international organisations.

“I urged him to respect our sovereign right to make independent decisions based on our longstanding globally acclaimed foreign policy principles,” he said.

These, he emphasised, are grounded in the 1992 Constitution and guided by Ghana’s pacifist approach to peace-building, commitment to non-alignment, respect for the UN Charter, adherence to a rules-based international order, belief in multilateralism, and compliance with international law.

He noted that these principles would continue to underpin Ghana’s position at global fora, especially at this pivotal time when the country holds a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council and chairs the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency.