It is hoped that the evidence, to be examined later by İstanbul’s chief public prosecutor, will shed more light on the circumstances of the Israeli attack on May 31, which resulted in deaths of eight Turks and one Turkish-American on the Mavi Marmara which was part of an international aid flotilla trying to break the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The Mavi Marmara and two other Turkish ships were released by Israel last week. The ships have been docked at the Mediterranean port of İskenderun since Saturday. A team of inspectors headed by İskenderun Chief Public Prosecutor Mustafa Ercan began inspecting the ships on Monday following a search for unexploded devices that may have been left on board. The inspection focused mostly on the Mavi Marmara, where the killings took place. The evidence and a report to be filed by inspectors are expected to be sent to the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in two to three weeks, news reports said on Wednesday.
The Humanitarian Aid Foundation (İHH), the Turkish charity that owned the ships, said following the inspection on ships that some laptops, cameras and memory cards belonging to passengers or the İHH were missing. “Computers belonging to passengers on the ship have not been returned. Cameras belonging to journalists or our foundation are also missing,” Hüseyin Oruç, an İHH executive, said after the inspection.
Lawyers of the İHH and the nine victims, who are pursuing legal action against Israel, hope the inspection on the ships will provide enough evidence to prosecute authorities in the Israeli state. Ahmet Doğan, father of the 19-year-old Furkan Doğan who was killed on the Mavi Marmara, told reporters on Wednesday that he would seek legal action against Israel in the US because his son was a US national. Lawyers say they are pursuing legal action against Israel in the International Criminal Court.
