Flotilla Protest Ship Greeted By Thousands In Turkey

ISTANBUL — Thousands of pro-Palestinian activists on Sunday welcomed back to Istanbul the ship that was the scene of bloodshed during an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May. Activists meanwhile, promised to send more ships in an effort to break the Gaza blockade.

Hundreds of balloons were released as the ship, Mavi Marmara, sailed into Istanbul's Sarayburnu port, following repairs at a port on Turkey's Mediterranean coast.

The activists, mostly members of pro-Islamic groups, waved Palestinian and Turkish flags and chanted "down with Israel" and "Allah is great" as they greeted the vessel. Protesters also boarded boats to welcome the approaching ship, which was adorned with a poster of the nine activists from Turkey who were killed during the raid.

"We promise that we will go again and again to Gaza, until Gaza and Palestine are free," Israeli-Swedish activist Dror Elimelech Feiler told the crowd.

The ship was part of an international flotilla carrying supplies to Gaza in a campaign to breach the blockade on Gaza when Israeli troops intercepted the convoy. Eight Turks and an American-Turkish teenager were killed in the violence that erupted on board the Mavi Marmara.

The incident aggravated relations between former allies Turkey and Israel that were already tense over Turkish criticism of Israel's conflict with Palestinians. Turkey recalled its ambassador and pushed for international condemnation of Israel.

Turkey has since said it wants improved ties with Israel, but is not backtracking from its demands that Israel apologize for the raid and compensate victims before relations can return to normal.

High-level Turkish and Israeli officials met in Geneva earlier this month to try to mend fences, after Turkey sent aircraft and firefighters to help Israel battle a wildfire. But they failed to agree on terms.

Israel insists commandos opened fire in self-defense after meeting what they called unexpected resistance when they boarded the Mavi Marmara. Israel wants Turkey to return its ambassador to Tel Aviv and to drop the flotilla incident from the international agenda.

Speaking at the welcoming ceremony, Ahmet Dogan, the father of the American-Turkish teenager who died, Furkan Dogan, said the victims' families wanted more than an apology and compensation from Israel.

"If they want to ease the pain of the families of the martyrs, the embargo and blockade (of Gaza) must be lifted," Dogan said. "All those in the Israeli (military) command chain involved in the incident must be punished."

After the raid, Israel significantly eased import restrictions over land, and announced it would permit increased exports from Gaza.

Comments

[Help Me]

10:27 PM on 12/29/2010

Is this still an issue? We have all seen the tapes. Homicidal "activists" screaming Jews are dogs. The fact that the flotilla was being bankrolled by an Islamic charity with ties to Al Qaeda. The fact that the "aid" on the ship was so worthless that Hamas rejected it when Israel delivered it to the border.

Yeah, and as far as starving Gaza is concerned, there is more poverty in Egypt. Yeah, even under "occupation" Gazans live better than Egyptians. Oh yeah, and Gazans have a higher life expectancy than Turkish citizens. And lower infant morality rate.

But who cares about facts. Israel is Nazi Germany. Iran smuggling in 1,000 tons of long-range missiles through the seas? NO, Zionist propaganda!!!111

[Kaviraj]

10:17 AM on 12/30/2010

LINKS???

[Help Me]

11:51 PM on 12/30/2010

Certainly:

Hamas rejects flotilla aid after Israel removes the bullet proof vests, cold weapons, and cash:

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=177320

infant mortality lower in Palestine than in Turkey:

http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=PopDiv&f=variableID:77

life expectancy in Turkey: 71

http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdi&met=sp_dyn_le00_in&idim=country:TUR&dl=en&hl=en&q=life+expectancy+turkey

like expectancy in occupied Palestine: 73.5

http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdi&met=sp_dyn_le00_in&idim=country:WBG&dl=en&hl=en&q=life+expectancy+palestinian+territories

[Magic 62]

09:05 PM on 12/30/2010

"NO, Zionist propaganda­!!!111"

Yes, you are very good at spewing Zionist propaganda­!!!!

[Joseph Aoun]

06:57 PM on 12/28/2010

We need a great American leader, a great Arab leader and a great Jewish leader to bring a lasting peace to the land of the British Mandate of Palestine.
The Palestinia­ns and the Israelis and the Jordanians will lose.
Palestinia­ns lose their claim to have as their country the whole of the mandated area of Palestine, but they do finally get a country of their own.
Israelis lose full control of Judea, Samaria and Gaza (it will be jointly controlled by Israel and Palestine) but attain what they want most of all: a Jewish state living in peace with its neighbors.
Jordanians nominally lose the country in which they are already a minority, but they would become citizens of a stronger, more stable country.

[Via Dolorosa]

08:32 AM on 12/29/2010

only in your dreams....!

It is more likely we'll see one bi-national state in all of historic Palestine than your fantasies.

[squiems]

02:20 PM on 01/02/2011

yes, because bi-national states full of people with decades of violent hatred for each other ALWAYS works. Just look at yugoslavia!

[b525]

03:47 PM on 12/28/2010

Turkey's damming of the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates River to the detriment of the people of Iraq downstream is quite disturbing.

River water levels in downstream Syria and Iraq have been reduced dramatically by Turkey's upstream dams, which are some of the largest dams ever built on earth...with more planned.

Iraq and Syria, which are the breadbasket of the middle-east, are suffering from large scale damage to their agricultural systems from these dams. Turkey on the other hand, has been able to increase agricultural production while destroying Tigris-Euphrates River fisheries. Most river fish cannot live in warm dam-stagnanted water.

Syria, Iran and Iraq have also engaged in dam building on these rivers, which has done much destruction to the Tigris-Euphrates River delta/marshlands.

Israel is now attempting to purchase water from Turkey as their aquifers and Jordan River water are running dry from overwithdrawal for farming. Perhaps they should return to free range animal herding....not sure.

[Via Dolorosa]

08:45 AM on 12/29/2010

What Turkey is doing may be subject for disputes (and agreements) with neighboring countries, but it cannot compare with the Israeli water-theft practices that resulted in the deliberate drainage of Lake Hula, almost complete drying of the Jordan River, overuse of Lake Tiberias, and the depletion of water aquifers in the West Bank.

[squiems]

02:20 PM on 01/02/2011

the turkish treatment of their kurdish minority is significantly worse than the israeli treatment of palestinians.

[gakabani]

01:59 PM on 12/28/2010

The madness of Zionism as an ideology is repugnant to the level of irrationality. The disease is like a cancer that has nothing to do with Judaism.

[mage]

12:07 PM on 12/28/2010

May 2011 be the year that brings peace...! May your leaders find it in their hearts to stop the madness..Happy 2011!

[Ric NYC]

10:35 AM on 12/28/2010

"Paraguay to recognize Palestinian state in 2011

RAMALLAH, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Paraguay plans to recognize an independent Palestinian state next year, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) said Sunday.

Paraguay's Foreign Minister Hector Lacognata told the Palestinian ambassador to Paraguay that his country will recognize the Palestinian state on the lands that Israel has occupied in 1967 in the spring, the Palestinian foreign ministry said in a statement.

By recognizing the Palestinian state, Paraguay joins several Latin America countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador and Uruguay, in doing so." (Xinhua)

Palestinian State recognition map - Update:

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/356/uh5k0p.gif

[jo smith456]

09:09 AM on 12/28/2010

What's also shocking is,
Israeli severely constricts the ability of the Palestinians-Gazans to earn living through exports. Importing perhaps "maybe" understandable to be of concern to the Israelis. But exports? It's to obvious that the Israelis are punishing (financially, physically, psychologically, politically,socially, economically, etc., etc.) en masse, the Palestinians-Gazans (and other Palestinians), ensuring that the Gazans will always be in a SUB-HUMAN, and HUMILIATING state of being. And then if the Palestinians rebel and fight back, they're considered terrorists. It's history repeating itself. Historically, Israelis that support punishing the Palestinians should know better ...

[Via Dolorosa]

08:27 AM on 12/28/2010

"After the raid, Israel significantly eased import restrictions over land, and announced it would permit increased exports from Gaza."

This is very misleading; the truth is, "The United Nations is [still] the lifeline [for Gazans], but it is running out of funds," and “Israel's easing of the blockade has not made a tangible impact.”
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/09/131913367/easing-of-blockade-fails-to-help-ordinary-gazans

[Cihangir]

06:22 AM on 12/28/2010

23 September 2010 – Israeli forces violated human rights and international humanitarian law during the 31 May incident involving a convoy of aid ships bound for Gaza, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s international, independent fact-finding mission has concluded.

In a 56-page report, the fact-finding mission, which is separate from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s four-member panel of inquiry into the same incident, found that the action of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in intercepting one of the ships, the Mavi Marmara, on the high sea was “clearly unlawful.”

The mission, chaired by Judge K. Hudson-Phillips, former judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, interviewed more than 100 witnesses in Geneva, London, Istanbul and Amman during the course of its work.

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/15session/A.HRC.15.21_en.pdf

[jo smith456]

09:11 AM on 12/28/2010

excellent references...

[cliffhammond]

04:37 AM on 12/28/2010

"Israel insists commandos opened fire in self-defense after meeting what they called unexpected resistance when they boarded the Mavi Marmara."

What the journalist failed to report was that a U.N. investigation found that a number of the victims on board the Mavi Marmara were executed at point blank range with their hands tied behind their backs while laying on the deck.

[squiems]

02:24 PM on 01/02/2011

which contradicts virtually all witness testimony. It wasn't the UN, it was the UN human rights council, a body that is so biased against israel, that in its history, it has NEVER condemned a country other than israel for human rights abuses. Not once. It is a kangaroo court.

A more fair minded UN report is due out soon.

[tallen]

02:30 PM on 01/02/2011

The UNHRC did not "find" anything.
It merely reported information that Turkey gave it.

There was no outside forensic investigation nor autopsies.

I'll leave aside the fact that the UNHRC is a cruel joke of an organization where countries like Libya, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, and China are the arbiters of human rights.

[Jaffar]

03:21 AM on 12/28/2010

The Mavi Marmara carried only 1/2000 of the aid that passes through Israel every year. Even less than one days aid coming from US and UN. And then the medicine that it carried were mostly out of date and destined for the garbage dumps.

Good thing Gazans did not get sick with all that rubbish that the Islamists tried to pass to Hamas.

[Via Dolorosa]

08:35 AM on 12/28/2010

where is your proof; what are your sources?

[jo smith456]

09:14 AM on 12/28/2010

"1/2000 of aid that passes through Israel..." --
The ship was going to Gaza, not to Israel...

Moreover, just in case, there are many aid non-Islamic donor sources, not just Islamists, that provide aid to Palestinians (including Gazans)

[Jaffar]

01:37 AM on 12/29/2010

Mavi Marmara carried only 1/2000 of the annual shipment from US and UN that goes through Israel for Gazans.

Yes, America is one of the biggest contributers of food and money to Gazans (who unlike all other nations never seem to work and are perenially in need of handouts).

[Siebenstein]

02:13 AM on 12/28/2010

This is one of the reasons why Turkey is not welcomed into the European Union, they so badly want to join.

[Cihangir]

02:22 AM on 12/28/2010

Yeah sure, everyone is racing to get into the EU at this point. :))

[Siebenstein]

02:41 AM on 12/28/2010

You are embarrassing yourself with a comment like the one you made.

Turkey is trying this since 1987, but because their government are human rights violaters, and support such in other countries, they can not count on this for a long time until they change their behavior, much like China would be treated (not by the US of course).
Read up babe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_of_Turkey_to_the_European_Union
http://countrystudies.us/turkey/89.htm

[phute]

03:56 AM on 12/28/2010

siebenstein - talk about being not being up to dte.
Turkey does not want to join the EU so badly - a you put it.
Turkey enjoys good relations with Europe to the West and enjoys good relations with countries to its East. A very good position to be in.
You know you should refrain from insulting others when you aren't too well informed yourself.

[Siebenstein]

04:21 AM on 12/28/2010

I am from a country that soon houses more Turks than Turkey itself, and is its Western neighbor, so do not lecture me. I do know what I am talking about, and I did not insult anyone, unless you are a Turk and feel insulted by the truth.

You are embarrassing yourself. To become informed, click here:
http://www.esiweb.org/pdf/esi_turkey_tpq_id_84.pdf

[Solemar]

11:34 PM on 12/27/2010

Oh please. That horse has been spanked to death already. Israel is breaking International Law. The occupation, the Flotilla, the collective punishment etc. is well documented. We read lots of newspapers and google a lot too, you know. It's going to take someone in power with cojones to tell Israel to obey the law or face consequences.

[Magic 62]

11:59 PM on 12/27/2010

We do worse than that. We spank anyone with cojones to tell Israel to obey the law ... for Israel, then give Israel more money.

[squiems]

02:28 PM on 01/02/2011

All of those are in dispute, with international law firmly on israel's side a lot more than you seem to expect. maybe if you didn't get all your information from the far-left. Even al-jazeera had a special discussing why the flotilla raid was legal.

[Cannonball Taffy O Jones]

10:59 PM on 12/27/2010

The ‘Mavi Marmara’ was carrying over six hundred passengers when it attempted to run the Israeli blockade.
 
If the ship was truly on a desperately needed mercy mission to bring essential supplies to a beleaguered population then why take up so much space accommodating hundreds of people?
 
Why not take say a hundred people and use the freed space for more supplies?
 
Unless, of course, the aim of the flotilla was never to deliver aid but to provoke an ‘incident’ with the IDF.
 
In that case having hundreds of people, many of them only to willing to use violence, on board makes perfect sense.

[Magic 62]

11:16 PM on 12/27/2010

Let's get 1 thing straight. ‘Mavi Marmara’ was anchored in the international water for the night when it was boarded ... it was not attempting to run anything ...

[Cyrus Trance]

02:19 AM on 12/28/2010

"Let's get 1 thing straight. ‘Mavi Marmara’ was anchored in the internatio­nal water for the night when it was boarded ... it was not attempting to run anything ...'

Einstein, why do you think the mavi was boarded?

Maybe you should also read this article.

LOL..................................the Mavi stated it's intentions to breech a legal blockade. Israel had the right under international law to board the ship even if it is in international waters.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65133D20100602

San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea, 12 June 1994

Read section V : NEUTRAL MERCHANT VESSELS AND CIVIL AIRCRAFT

http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/FULL/560?OpenDocument

[albiecoyote]

08:23 AM on 12/28/2010

The stated purpose was to run the blockade......read up, think and then post your lies.

[skialethia]

11:30 PM on 12/27/2010

Do you know how many people were asking to sign up for the Gaza flotilla??? They had to turn people away. Maybe it's hard for you to believe this, but outside of the U.S., the majority of people want this siege on Gaza over and are very much on the side of the Palestinians. I know-I know it's really hard for you to fathom that not everyone is on the side of your precious Israel, but just the ratio on the internet should give you some clue.

As for the "incident", from the perception of most, Israel provoked this incident by attacking a ship on International waters, and forcefully attempting to board it. Piracy is a crime under international law and self-defense against piracy is totally exculpatory under the law.

[Cannonball Taffy O Jones]

10:42 AM on 12/28/2010

More flotilla tourists = less ‘desperately’ needed aid for Gazans.
 
It isn’t a difficult equation to understand old boy.

[squiems]

02:36 PM on 01/02/2011

no, in muslim countries people are on the side of the palestinians. The most pro-israel populace in the world, according to polls, is in india.

[MarcEdward]

10:35 PM on 12/27/2010

Israel insists commandos opened fire in self-defense after meeting what they called unexpected resistance when they boarded the Mavi Marmara.

Contrary to the evidence and findings.

[RumiSouth]

11:03 PM on 12/27/2010

The "unexpected resistance" part is true, anyway.

[skialethia]

11:21 PM on 12/27/2010

There were no weapons on board as Israel claimed. Tell me something, if pirates attacked your boat in mid-sea on international waters you wouldn't pick up a chair or a broom handle to try and defend yourself? If I'm not mistaken, self-defense is exculpatory under the law.

[Tuigim]

11:49 PM on 12/27/2010

Unexpected? So they knew there were peaceful activists on board?
I guess they were so heavily armed as they illegally boarded the boat from above with machine guns ablaze because they knew people might resist an armed invasion from above.