Turkish Gaza Flotilla May 2010
The Turkish Gaza Flotilla incident of May 2010 involved a convoy of six ships, including the Turkish ferry Mavi Marmara, attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007. The flotilla, organized by the Free Gaza Movement and supported by various international groups, set sail from Cyprus with approximately 700 passengers, primarily Turkish citizens, seeking to provide 10,000 tons of aid. On May 31, Israeli Defense Forces intercepted the flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea, leading to a violent confrontation on the Mavi Marmara, where nine civilians were killed, and many others were injured. The narratives surrounding the incident diverged sharply, with Israeli authorities claiming self-defense against armed activists, while passengers alleged that Israeli soldiers initiated the violence. The event significantly strained Turkish-Israeli relations, prompting widespread international condemnation of Israel's actions and leading to Turkey recalling its ambassador and calling for reduced diplomatic ties. In the aftermath, Egypt opened its border with Gaza, facilitating aid access. The incident remains a focal point of discussion regarding humanitarian efforts, military engagement, and international diplomacy in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Turkish Gaza Flotilla May 2010
Summary: On May 31, 2010, Israeli soldiers boarded ships of a flotilla carrying "humanitarian aid" to Gaza, which had been the subject of an Israeli blockade. On one ship, gunshots killed nine civilians. Passengers aboard the ship, a Turkish passenger ferry, accused Israeli troops of opening fire without cause; Israel said its troops used weapons solely in self-defense. The incident caused a severe rift between Turkey and Israel, which had previously had close relations, brought widespread international condemnation of Israel, and caused Egypt to open its border with Gaza.
Date: Monday, May 31, 2010.
Place: Mediterranean Sea, about 80 miles (128 km) off the coast of Israel.
Incident: On Sunday, May 30, 2010, six ships--three passenger vessels and three freighters--with about 700 passengers (of whom about 500 were Turkish, with the rest comprising citizens of several European countries, the United States, and Australia) set sail from Cyprus headed for the port of Gaza. Their purpose was to deliver 10,000 tons of what organizers described as humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, subject of an Israeli blockade since 2007, when the militant group Hamas seized control of the area. (Egypt also closed its border with Gaza at about the same time that Israel imposed its blockade of Gaza.)
Early on Monday, May 31, 2010, members of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted the flotilla and boarded the ships in order to divert them to the Israeli port of Ashdod, in central Israel north of Gaza. In the days following the confrontation, two competing versions of events on board the largest ship of the flotilla, the ferry Mavi Marmara, were offered by the Israeli government and activists aboard the flotilla. In the Israeli version, passengers stormed the soldiers using make-shift weapons (chairs, pipes), causing the soldiers to use firearms in self-defense. In the activists' version, soldiers fired first--including from the helicopter over the ferry--shooting passengers indiscriminately. Both sides later posted videos on the Internet purporting to demonstrate that the other side had started the fighting. Eventually nine passengers from the flotilla, all Turkish citizens (and one who held dual U.S.-Turkish citizenship) died; about 30 others were injured. Soldiers also boarded other ships in the flotilla, mostly without incident. Autopsies conducted in Turkey on victims showed victims had been shot at least once, many in the head, and one had been shot six times, most at close range.
According to a statement by the Israeli Defense Forces, the boardings "happened after numerous warnings from Israel and the Israel navy that were issued prior to the action. The Israel navy requested the ships to redirect toward Ashdod where they would be able to unload their aid material which would then be transferred over land after undergoing security inspections." In its official description of the incident, the Israeli Defense Forces said: "During the interception of the ships, the demonstrators on board attacked the IDF naval personnel with live fire and light weaponry including knives and clubs. Additionally one of the weapons used was grabbed from an IDF soldier. The demonstrators had clearly prepared their weapons in advance for this specific purpose. As a result of this life-threatening and violent activity, naval forces employed riot dispersal means, including live fire."
In its description of the event, the Free Gaza Movement said: "Under darkness of night, Israeli commandos dropped from a helicopter onto the Turkish passenger ship, Mavi Marmara, and began to shoot the moment their feet hit the deck. They fired directly into the crowd of civilians asleep. "
Israeli forces eventually took control of all six ships which docked at the Israeli port of Ashdod. Israel said it was unloading the cargo for shipment overland to Gaza. Israel deported about 700 people who were aboard the six ships after initially considering bringing charges against some of them. Three passengers remained in Israeli hospitals.
Participants:
- Free Gaza Movement, an international coalition of activists, including many Americans, dedicated to ending the blockade of Gaza, was the principal organizer of the flotilla. The movement contributed two of the six ships.
- Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), a Turkish charitable group reported to be close to Turkey's ruling AKK party and based in a region of Turkey where Islamist sentiments are especially strong. IHH contributed three ships to the flotilla, including the ferry Mavi Marmara where the deadly fighting occurred.
- According to the Free Gaza Movement, other groups involved in organizing the flotilla included the European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza (ECESG), the Perdana Global Peace Organization, Ship to Gaza Greece, Ship to Gaza Sweden, and the International Committee to Lift the Siege on Gaza.
- Israeli Defense Forces, which boarded the ships and forced them to divert to Ashdod. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in Canada when the incident occurred (and who canceled a meeting with President Barack Obama scheduled for Tuesday, June 1, in order to fly back to Israel), defended his government's actions, carried out under the supervision of Defense Minister (and former Prime Minister) Ehud Barak.
- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the pro-Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) strongly denounced Israel's actions and canceled scheduled joint military exercises with Israel.
Reactions. The incident generated widespread reactions almost immediately, including large street demonstrations in Turkey, Jordan, and other capitals. Israel advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Turkey.
Diplomatically, Turkey summoned its ambassador home and called in the Israeli ambassador and canceled planned joint military exercises. The Turkish parliament passed a resolution demanding that relations with Israel be reduced to a minimum.
Israeli ambassadors in Sweden, Spain, Denmark and Greece were also summoned for meetings. The French foreign minister called for an investigation. Greece and Turkey both canceled military exercises with Israel. The Arab League called an emergency meeting. Egypt announced it was opening its border with Gaza for the first time since the Israeli embargo was imposed. The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, deplored the loss of life and called on Israel to allow aid to enter Gaza.
A spokesman for the White House said the United States "deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries sustained" in the incident."