'Turkey asks for names of 'Mavi Marmara' raid soldiers'
Report says Istanbul prosecutors sent letter demanding that Israel give the identities of those responsible for fatal flotilla raid.
By JPOST.COM STAFFThe 'Mavi Marmara' 311 (R)(photo credit: Reuters/Emrah Dalkaya)
Turkey submitted a letter to the government last week asking for the names of the Israel Navy sailors involved in last year’s raid on the Mavi Marmara protest ship that left nine Turks dead, the Istanbul-based paper Zaman reported on Friday.In a two-page letter, the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office sent the request as part of an ongoing court case investigating the May 31 flotilla raid, the report said.RELATED:Turkish FM warns Israel not to repeat flotilla 'mistake'Lieberman to discuss upcoming flotilla in Cyprus meetingThe Prosecutor’s Office demanded the names and contact details of IDF soldiers and officers who were involved in the raid. It also demanded an official copy of information and documents related to the incident.On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of members of Congress sent a letter appealing to the Turkish government to prevent a second flotilla from sailing to Gaza next month.“We write today to express our serious concern over reports that the so-called Free Gaza Movement and the IHH are planning to send another flotilla to Gaza in the coming weeks to provoke a confrontation with Israel,” the legislators wrote.“We ask you to help discourage these efforts and work with the Israeli government in a productive way as it continues to allow legitimate aid, but not weapons, to enter Gaza.”The letter continued: “Israel, like any country in the world, must take whatever steps necessary to protect its citizens, and that starts with preventing additional weapons from entering Gaza.If flotilla organizers carry out their confrontational plans, the Israelis will have little choice but to board the vessels and search for weapons.”Hilary Leila Krieger contributed to this report.
