Turkey launches probe against Israeli leaders (may prosecute Netanyahu, Barak & IDF Chief)

[Liberal Elitist]

Source: ynetnews.com

Turkish newspaper Zaman says prosecution has begun compiling evidence against Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Ashkenazi following deadly raid on Gaza-bound flotilla

The İstanbul Bakırköy Prosecutor’s Office has launched a criminal investigation against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi over the deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla, Turkish newspaper Zaman reported Saturday.

According to the report, if the prosecutor’s office can compile enough evidence against Israel at the end of its probe, it will charge the Israeli officials with various crimes, including murder, injury, taking hostages, attacking Turkish citizens on the open seas and piracy.

The Turkish newspaper reported that one of the prosecutors interviewed all the injured on Wednesday in a hospital in Ankara except for intensive care unit patients. In addition, the hundreds of activists deported from Israel were examined at the Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK) to provide more evidence about the incident.

Read more: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3899263,00.html

---

I wonder if the US will similarly investigate the killing of Fulkan Dogan....

[aquart]

1. Cool! A show trial, what could be more fun.

If they take delivery on those drones during the middle of it, though, the whole effect will be spoiled.

[dipsydoodle]

2. what could be more fun ?

Shutting down Israel's supply from the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline for starters.

[harmonicon]

4. do you live in some opposite world that mysteriously has access to our world's internet?

Israel is a country that has repeatedly ignored international law. Turkey is a NATO member, which I don't think is infamous for ignoring international law, and certainly not for holding show trials. Please tell me more about this world you live in. I wonder, for instance, what it's like for me to be wealthy... I wonder if I'm the same, but rich, or if my personality is opposite in that world as well. If the latter, where is your opposite counterpart in this world? I'm sure we'd be good friends.

[IndianaGreen]

8. Some people choose Israel's side over the American side

and they have even engaged in smearing American servicemembers when their eyewitness accounts conflict with Israel's official propaganda.

[harmonicon]

9. yes, but the truth doesn't have sides, and Turkey isn't the US.

People are free to choose what policies and positions they agree or disagree with, but people aren't free to decide what the truth is - it just is. In this case, there is no truth to the idea that Turkey is involved with show trials.

[Imajika]

11. Oh stop it..

Turkey has been moving away from the West for years now. The real sad thing here is the overwhelming evidence of how far they've moved by allowing a Turkish flagged ship to attempt to run this Israel/Egyptian blockade in the first place. Erdogan is an Islamist and his Justice and Development party are Islamists too. The secular Turkish people and the military have been worried about this guy for years.

Nevermind all the grandstanding and demagoguing, the real result of this is probably to further split Turkey away from NATO and the EU - something they seem inclined to do anyway.

Israel will trade some bad publicity for no rockets launched from Gaza. Elections have consequences, and the people in Gaza might want to consider not voting for Hamas next time they go to the polls to vote.

[harmonicon]

12. yes, "elections have consequences"

And the Israeli people have elected a government which murders Turks and Americans alike in international waters. I'm glad that Turkey has the guts to do something about it, while our government does jack-shit to stop the state-sponsor of terrorism that is Israel. I hope that the people of Turkey are now proud of the government they elected and the Israeli's equally ashamed. The chosen government of the people of Gaza has nothing to do with this - they are not directly involved.

[Heywood J]

13. This applies to most of your post:

[ citation needed ]


Is your post meant to imply that the rest of the world would be justified in attacking the US since we've committed criminal acts (even since Jan/09), and that we should just consider not voting for R's or D's next time we vote?

[Jefferson23]

3. I wish they would involve an American , someone who would

be almost impossible for Israel and the US to discredit. Not that they are obligated to have an outsider, but it would
be a smarter move imo.

[mainer]

5. There were Americans on board. One of them is from Maine.

He went as a journalist, and his camera and video equipment was stolen by the Israelis.

[Jefferson23]

10. I understand that, I meant involved in the investigation. I don't

want to see Israel nor the US come up with their usual excuses.

[harmonicon]

6. Israel already got an American involved;

involved by way of 8 bullets to the head.

[IndianaGreen]

7. If World Governments Will Not Confront Israel, What Path Should Civil Society Take?

Worldwide arrest warrants should issue. Israeli officials should understand that they may have impunity in Israel, but that they leave Israel at their peril.

Published on Friday, June 4, 2010 by Inter Press Service

If World Governments Will Not Confront Israel, What Path Should Civil Society Take?

by Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS - If, as expected, the U.N. Security Council remains politically impotent and refuses to penalise Israel for the killings of nine pro-Palestinian civilians on a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, what is the next course of action?

<snip>

Asked how Israel could be punished and/or penalised for its atrocities - if action is to be taken outside the Security Council chambers - Falk said there are two sets of punitive responses outside of the U.N. system.

First, by strong diplomatic initiatives, as for instance, the deterioration of Israeli trade and security relations with Turkey, and others; and by some governments adopting informal or formal sanctions - again the South Africa analogy is relevant, he said.

Secondly, by civil society initiatives that move toward further de-legitimisation of Israel, such as a citizen tribunal on Israeli aggression on the high seas or slow genocide in Gaza; an intensifying campaign fueled by outrage, including the failure of the United Nations to uphold international law in relation to Israel, said Falk, who is also professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University.

Ratner told IPS the murdered and injured citizens from various countries can and should begin criminal prosecutions in their home countries against Israeli officials who ordered this attack in international waters.

"Worldwide arrest warrants should issue. Israeli officials should understand that they may have impunity in Israel, but that they leave Israel at their peril," he said.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/06/04-9

[The abyss]

14. Thanks for posting Indiana

Good summary