A court in Istanbul is to try in absentia four ex-Israeli military commanders, including former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, over the deadly raid of a Turkish boat as it tried to break Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip in 2010. Nine Turkish activists died in clashes after the Israeli commandos boarded the Mavi Marmara ship. Seven of the commandos were also wounded. Israel contends that some of the activists were carrying knives and other weapons and first attacked the soldiers, who then acted in self-defense. A number of items designed to prevent a takeover of the ship were later discovered aboard the Mavi Marmara (see photo below).
The incident led to a major rift in relations between Turkey and Israel.
Among the charges are "inciting murder through cruelty or torture". Apart from Ashkenazi, the indictment names former Israeli Navy Commander Eliezer Marom, former Air Force Commander Amos Yadlin and former head of Air Force intelligence Avishay Levi. Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences of more than 18,000 years for each of them.
If the four men are convicted, the Turkish court could issue an international warrant for their arrest. In a statement, Israel’s Embassy in Ankara called the trial a "unilateral political act with no judicial credibility" and a “political theater”. It added the issue should be resolved through dialogue between Israel and Turkey. A total of 490 people aboard the ship during the raid, including activists and journalists, are expected to give evidence. Normally barred from courtrooms, the trial will be officially recorded by television cameras, although proceedings are not expected to be broadcast.
In late May 2010, the Mavi Marmara was one of six vessels participating in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. It carried 600 pro-Palestinian activists from a number of countries toward the Gaza coast and was intercepted by the Israeli navy.
A UN inquiry found that Israel's blockade of Gaza was "a legitimate security measure" and that Israeli troops had faced "significant, organized and violent resistance" when they boarded the ship. However, it said Israel's decision to board the ship and the use of substantial force was "excessive and unreasonable". Israel, which carried out its own investigation into the raid, expressed regret for the loss of lives.
Report: Turkey to return unmanned military planes to Israel
Meanwhile, ‘Defense News’ reported that the Turkish Army intends to return to Israel three tactical Aerostar Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) due to poor performance against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Turkey's worst enemy. ‘Defense News’ quoted a procurement official as saying: “The contract is at a stage of cancellation." The magazine added that Turkish officials did not specify the performance problems with the UAVs.
Israel and the NATO member Turkey once shared intelligence information and conducted joint military exercises. However, since the Gaza flotilla raid cooperation between the two countries has been halted, and diplomatic relations have been reduced to a minimum.
On Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan had reiterated his demands that Israel apologize for its role in the raid and offer compensation, in addition to lifting the blockade on goods to Gaza.
