Israeli military forces under control of the Israeli Army carried out an operation against ships from the Rights and Freedoms Association for Humanitarian Help (İHH). The flotilla was heading to Gaza and carrying humanitarian help.
The military stormed the ships overnight approximately 70 miles off the Israeli coast and opened fire. While some sources report about two casualties and 30 people injured, Israeli television channels publish even higher numbers.
According to the Israeli television news, another eight injured people have died and the number of missing persons rose to ten. Israeli TV channels announced a total of 16 casualties. As reported on the websites of the Israeli newspapers Haaretz and Jerusalem Post, at least ten people died.
Contact could previously be established to only one vessel of the flotilla, the "Blue Marmra". Currently, it is impossible to contact any of the ships.
Israeli Ambassador Gabi Levi called to the Foreign Ministry
This incident affects diplomacy as well. The Israel Ambassador in Ankara, Gabi Levi, was called to the Foreign Ministry. A group of people demonstrated in front of Levi's home this morning. A team of the Ant-Riot Forces tried to control the crowd. The demonstrators later on initiated a sit-down strike.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu keeps President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan updated about the latest developments. A Turkish member of the Swedish Parliament, Mehmet Kaplan, is on one of the ships.
A spokesman of the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on the Turkish news channel NTV that the activities related to Gaza could not be evaluated as "humanitarian help". The Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed Peoples (MAZLUMDER) will organize a protest action in front of the Embassy of Israel in Ankara at 1.00 pm this afternoon (31 May).
Gendelman: "Our sovereignty was attacked"
The spokesman of the Israeli Prime Ministry, Ofir Gendelman, said on NTV that 10 people died in the attack according to his latest information.
Gendelman announced that five activists were taken to different hospitals and that some other people were slightly injured. For the attack, he blamed the ones carrying humanitarian help:
"They are the ones who provoked the conflict with the Israeli army. Many of the people on the ships were armed. They had guns, iron sticks and knives. Our soldiers were attacked".
"They did not come to help Gaza but to attack the sovereignty of Israel. They attacked our soldiers". (EÖ/VK)
