Turkish court indicts Israeli soldiers two years after flotilla raid

The cruise liner Mavi Marmara is towed by a Turkish tugboat as it leaves the port of Haifa, August 2010

Reuters/Max Yelinson/Maariv

By Ruth Michaelson in Ramallah

A Turkish court indicted several high profile members of the Israeli military yesterday, in the run up to the second anniversary of the killing of nine activists on board a flotilla bound for Gaza.

They include the former heads of the military, navy, air force intelligence, military intelligence and a group of as yet unidentified commandos who conducted the raid on the ship, the Mavi Marmara on 31 May 2010.

A date for the trial has yet to be decided.

Dossier: Gaza 2009

The charges include inciting to kill “monstrously, and by torture”, and cite 490 alleged victims and claimants, 189 of whom say they were injured during the raid.

The court issued the charges in absentia, as the members of the Israeli military are unlikely to be extradited by Israel.

The soldiers are accused of opening fire with intention to kill. The Israeli military maintains that the soldiers fired in self-defence.

The Mavi Marmara was part of a flotilla headed to deliver aid to Gaza in protest at Israel’s naval blockade of the Strip, imposed since Hamas’ election in 2006.