Turkey welcomes UN flotilla report's findings
Ankara's foreign minister says UN Human Rights Council report probing tragic events of Gaza-bound aid sail 'extremely fair, based on solid evidence'
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday praised the impartiality of the UN Human Rights Council's investigation into the raid of the Gaza-bound Maramra in late May, saying that the findings met Turkey's expectations.
In a harsh 56-page report, compiled by former UN war crimes prosecutor Desmond de Silva, Trinidadian judge Karl T. Hudson-Phillips and Malaysian women's rights advocate Mary Shanthi Dairiam, the UNHCR concluded that Israel exceeded its authority and violated International Law by raiding the flotilla.
The report further stated that Israel's military reaction of the sail was "disproportionate and brutal," and that the soldiers boarding the Marmara "demonstrated levels of totally unnecessary and incredible violence."
The panel concluded that Israel's version of the events was inconsistent and was to be rejected, adding that the findings supported "prosecution against Israel for willful killing and torture."
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The Council's report, Davutoglu told Anatolia news agency, "Is extremely fair and based on solid evidence. We appreciate that. (The report) meets our expectations. I hope the Israeli side will now (...) act within international law, he said.
Israel has rejected the report, calling it "biased and partisan." Diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey – once close strategic allies – have been strained by the events. Ankara has called on Jerusalem to apologize, pay compensation and terminate the blockade of Gaza as a precondition for normalizing relations.
"Our goal is not to cause a political crisis, but to ensure that everyone respects international law and believes that no country is above the law. We will never allow that to happen in the Eastern Mediterranean" said Davutoglu.
Wednesday saw Knesset Member Hanin Zaobi (Balad), who was on the Turkish ship during the raid, say she too "welcomes the professionalism and decency of the UN committee in its efforts to reveal the truth."
The MK called on the Israeli government to "face these conclusions,' adding that "all the typical slander attempts will not make Israel innocent."
Meanwhile, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Wednesday that the report underscored the fact that "Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories violates human rights not only against Palestinian people but against innocent people who came to show their sympathy."
"Now it's required to be a mechanism in order to translate this report into action and to bring the occupation commanders to trial for the crimes they committed," Barhoum said.
AFP contributed to this report
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