On Dec. 2, the Mavi Marmara case brought against Israel for its assault on a Turkish ferryboat carrying humanitarian relief to the Gaza Strip met in court for the 21st time. The prosecutor asked for the dismissal of the case based on the agreement signed between Israel and Turkey in June. The victims’ families and activists at the court were furious, so the judge adjourned the session until Dec. 9.
On Dec. 9, the court met under heavy security, and there were allegations on social media that the security personnel had told victims’ families, “You will have 10 more martyrs here today.” Attendees at the court tweeted that the police presence was to intimidate them. The tension was high at court, especially after the prosecutor said, “Turkey, specific just to this case, due to the agreement made, conceded its sovereign rights.” Then the activists started chanting slogans, such as “Mavi Marmara is our honor” followed by “God is Great” [Allahu akbar], “Damn Israel,” and “This is not Israel, it is Turkey.” Lawyers left the courtroom in an act of desperate protest.
Indeed, after the Israeli-Turkish agreement in June, Al-Monitor has surveyed various Islamist groups and reported their strong disapproval of the rapprochement. The terms of the agreement make it impossible for victims’ families to take Israeli soldiers and officials to court. The prominent figures in the Islamist movement were well-aware of this, but kept silent after Erdogan made his infamous declaration accusing IHH — the main nongovernmental organization leading the flotilla — and other members of the Mavi Marmara flotilla to have embarked upon the journey without consulting the state.
Yet the public at large was left in the dark after the agreement was signed. For example, in November, the International Criminal Court’s decision not to probe the Mavi Marmara incident was not discussed on any prominent TV channel; hence the Turks had little to no idea about the impact of Erdogan’s decisions not only on their own 10 compatriots who died but also on the Palestinians.
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
