Turkish Court Approves Indictment of Israeli Commanders in Flotilla Case

Press TV, Tuesday, May 29, 2012, 3:14AM GMT

A court in Turkey has approved an indictment seeking multiple life sentences for four Israeli ex-military commanders over their role in the 2010 killing of nine Turkish activists on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla.

The indictment, which was arranged by Istanbul state prosecutor Mehmet Akif Ekinci, was presented to the court last week and its approval means the start of a trial in absentia against the Israelis, Reuters reported.

The Israeli military attacked the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in the international waters on May 31, 2010, killing nine Turkish activists on board the Mavi Marmara, which was part of the six-ship aid convoy.

Relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated since Israel's deadly assault on the humanitarian mission in the Mediterranean Sea.

Turkey kicked out Israel's ambassador and halted all military cooperation with Tel Aviv after a United Nations report into the atrocity released in September 2011 didn’t condemn the Israeli regime forcefully.

The 144-page indictment called for nine life sentences to be given to each of the four former Israeli commanders, among them Israel's former Chief of General Staff Gabi Ashkenazi.

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