海角大神

Antagonism between Turkey and Israel is being reinvigorated as each nation's report about the lethal storming by Israeli commandos of the Mavi Marmara ship last May is made public.

Eight Turks and an American citizen of Turkish descent were killed during the 4:26 a.m. raid on the humanitarian aid flotilla, which was cruising 72 miles off the coast in international waters on its way to break Israel's Gaza blockade.

The Turkish report found that Israeli units shot dead two people from their helicopters before fast-roping onto the deck, where they battled passengers armed with sticks, clubs, and knives mostly drawn from the ship鈥檚 eight kitchens.

What Turkey found

Turkey鈥檚 report on the incident was submitted to a United Nations investigation last September, but is now being made public after Israel on Sunday published its own report, which cleared the Israeli military and government of any wrongdoing.

鈥淭he attacker can鈥檛 claim that he is defending himself,鈥� a senior Turkish foreign ministry official said Tuesday. 鈥淥ur aim was not to demonize Israel or the Israeli people [or] to tarnish the Israeli nation鈥�. But Israel has not come to terms with their injustice.鈥�

The report of 滨蝉谤补别濒鈥檚 Turkel Commission 鈥� which is to be the basis of 滨蝉谤补别濒鈥檚 findings for the UN investigation 鈥� affirms 滨蝉谤补别濒鈥檚 official declarations that its units killed in self-defense. Turkish officials have dismissed it as 鈥渇lawed鈥� and a 鈥渨hitewash.鈥�

Outrage in Turkey over the incident has deeply damaged 滨蝉谤补别濒鈥檚 relations with one-time close ally Turkey, which has demanded an apology and reparations.

The Turkish report said that Israel mounted a 鈥渇ull-fledged and pre-meditated attack鈥� by heavily armed soldiers with live ammunition that used 鈥渆xcessive, indiscriminate and disproportionate force 鈥� against the civilians on board,鈥� the Turkish report said.

Once the Israelis took over the vessel they 鈥渃ontinued to brutalize and terrorize the passengers, abusing them physically and psychologically,鈥� the report found. During interrogation that lasted days in Israel, all passengers were 鈥渇orced to sign incriminatory statements鈥� in Hebrew, while 鈥渆vidence of critical importance to shed light on the attack was destroyed, tampered with or despoiled.鈥�

Some findings of the Turkish report echo those from the UN Human Rights Council, whose fact-finding mission last September concluded 鈥渁 series of violations of international law 鈥� were committed by the Israeli forces during the interception of the flotilla.鈥�

What Israel found

滨蝉谤补别濒鈥檚 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the Israeli commission findings, which stated that Israeli soldiers acted appropriately on the ship after they 鈥渆ncountered a real resistance force, armed with clubs, iron rods, chairs, etc.鈥�

The report stated that the 鈥渓argest group鈥� among the 600 on board was made up of 鈥減eace activists,鈥� and that an order went out over the Mavi Marmara鈥檚 public address system telling all passengers to return to their seats.

The commission stated that passengers who were 鈥渄irect participants in hostilities鈥� could legally be considered combatants.

It also found that Israeli soldiers 鈥渁cted professionally and in a measured manner,鈥� though their actions 鈥渉ad the regrettable consequences of the loss of human life and physical injuries.鈥�

"I hope all those who rushed to judgment against Israel and its soldiers will read these reports,鈥� Mr. Netanyahu said. 鈥淭he truth is that our soldiers were defending our country and defending their very lives. This is not only their right; it is their duty.鈥�

Loopholes and whitewash?

The Israeli position has prompted fury in Turkey, where President Abdullah Gul said 滨蝉谤补别濒鈥檚 report 鈥渋sn鈥檛 worth the paper it is printed on 鈥� it has no credibility, legitimacy, or plausibility.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 full of legal loopholes, it鈥檚 distorting facts, and unfortunately it whitewashes the Israeli military,鈥� said the senior Turkish official in Istanbul. 鈥淥ur conclusion is it鈥檚 shielding those people who are responsible 鈥� from international prosecution in the future.鈥�

Turkey鈥檚 report confirmed initial autopsies, noting that 鈥渕ost suffered from multiple shots at close range.鈥� Witnesses reported shortly after the event that Israelis used laser sights on their guns in some cases; one of the dead was shot between the eyes.

The Turkish report also details what it called efforts by Israel to complicate any Turkish forensic examination. Bodies had been washed and 鈥済unshot residues were removed鈥� before being repatriated to Turkey.

The ship itself had been held in the Israeli port of Ashdod for 66 days, and when handed back to Turkey had been 鈥渟crubbed down thoroughly, blood stains completely washed off, bullet holes painted over; ship records, Captain鈥檚 log, computer hardware, ship documents seized, CCTV cameras smashed, all photographic footage seized and presumably destroyed or withheld.鈥�

鈥淚f you try so hard to hide evidence, it means that psychologically you are under pressure, that you committed something,鈥� said the senior ministry official.

He also echoed the conclusion of the Turkish report, that Israeli forces had a number of nonlethal ways of stopping the Mavi Marmara, but chose not to use them.

鈥淚srael prepared for a combat operation and refused to deviate from this strategy," the Turkish report stated. 鈥淭he tragic truth is that civilian casualty [sic] could have been avoided if Israel had sought [an] alternative non-violent plan of action.鈥�