Israel, Zionism and the Media

Tag: Turkey (Page 2 of 2)

Profiles of those killed on the Mavi Marmara

The Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center has released a list of those killed aboard the Mavi Marmara. Eight out of nine had links to terrorism. Several wrote wills or expressed their wish for martyrdom.

The report notes that no Western or Arab/Muslim human rights activists were killed; they all had Turkish nationality.

Here’s the summary, for details follow the link the link:

The following conclusions arise from analyzing the identity and affiliation of the nine Turkish nationals killed aboard the Mavi Marmara:

  1. The major role played by the Islamic organization IHH: out of the nine people killed, four were identified as IHH operatives or activists. Four others were members of Turkish Islamic organizations or parties affiliated with the IHH. The remaining victim is an ordinary Turkish volunteer who was caught in the event for unclear reasons.
  2. Operatives from the Turkish Felicity Party (Saadet Partisi): at least two of the people killed belong to the Felicity Party, an Islamic party established in 2001 with the support of ex-politician Necmettin Erbakan (after his Welfare Party, Refah Partisi, was banned from politics). The party espouses cooperation between Muslim countries, war on Zionism, and confrontation with the West. In April 2010, the party announced it would take part in the flotilla together with the IHH and the Free Gaza movement.
  3. Thugs among those killed: one of the people killed is a former Taekwondo champion; another worked at an Istanbul sports association; still another worked as a security guard at IHH conferences in the city where he lived. It should be noted that one of the Mavi Marmara passengers related during questioning in Israel that he had seen several IHH thugs carrying clubs. Statements taken from Israeli navy commandos show that there were thugs among the operatives who fought them. The presence of those thugs among the hard core of IHH operatives was part of the preparations for the confrontation.
  4. Statements made by relatives of those killed about their desire to become shaheeds and preparation of wills: relatives of four killed operatives testified that they wanted to die as shaheeds. It was reported that two of the killed operatives had left a letter or a last will before setting sail. “I pray that Allah will give us a happy endings, just like those shaheeds”, says one of the killed operatives on a video tape found aboard the Mavi Marmara.
  5. No human rights activists among the victims: conspicuously absent are human rights activists from Western countries and from the Arab/Muslim world, some of whom came on board the Mavi Marmara out of a genuine desire to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Those activists avoided joining the organized fighting against the IDF, stayed inside the ship, and did not go to the upper deck where the fighting took place. One of the Turkish nationals killed was a high school student. We have no information that he was connected with any Islamic organization.

Dear Secretary General of NATO, I want to talk to you about Turkey

Dear Secretary General

On June 1st you issued a statement about the ‘Freedom Flotilla’ in which you condemned “the acts which have led to this tragedy”.

It was not clear what those acts were, but most would conclude that you were condemning Israel. You then called for an International Enquiry. This seems to represent a pattern in enquiries about Israel’s conduct; first the members of the UN’s Goldstone report accused Israel of war crimes and then made their investigation; now you are also condemning Israel before any investigation is carried out.

I am also amazed that you have stood by whilst the Turkish government, a NATO member, embraces the vile Iranian regime and the dictator of Syria who is supplying arms to Hizbollah in Lebanon.

The Turkish Prime Minister also claims that Hamas is not a terrorist organisation.

Why have you not condemned Turkey for allowing a bunch of jihadis to board a ship in a Turkish port without passports with the intention of confronting the Israeli navy with murderous intent whilst the Israelis were legally seeking compliance with their maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip?

You issued your statement on June 1st. I think you should withdraw your condemnation in  light of overwhelming evidence of a prepared ambush on soldiers whose intent was not lethal but who found themselves in fear of their lives and resorted to lethal force as a last resort.

You should at least revise your statement to reserve your condemnations until an appropriate investigation has been carried out.

How can Turkey remain a member of NATO whilst its government pursues political alliances with regimes totally inimical to NATO?

Surely Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, would be a worthier member.

Yours respectfully

Ray Cook

Flotilla farce: Hamas refuses to allow in ‘humanitarian aid’ (2)

As I write, most of the aid from the Freedom Flotilla and the Rachel Corrie that Israel has sent through to its crossings with Gaza is not being allowed in by Hamas.

Can you believe that? Its people are in such dire need but Hamas  will not allow in this ‘vital’ aid.

Where are the protests from the Free Gaza Movement about Hamas’s inhuman blockade? Why are the IHH not slammimg Hamas. Why is Turkish prime minster Erdogan not taking Hamas to task? Where is Ban Ki Moon? John Ging (UNWRA) anyone? Amnesty International? Save the Children? Human Rights Watch? All silent. Desmond Tutu? Shtum.

I see. It’s only when Israel blocks anything that it’s wrong. Now I see. Thank you so much you irrational bunch of hypocrites. At last I am enlightened.

What the hell is going on when no-one says anything about this!

Official: Hamas is not a terrorist organisation*

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan says:

I have told this to US officials… I do not accept Hamas as a terrorist organisation..

and:

he [does] not view Hamas, which runs Gaza, as a terrorist organisation…

They are:

resistance fighters who are struggling to defend their land

So ends Turkey’s relationship with Israel which has been one of co-operation for many years. As Turkey,  the first truly secular Islamic state, kisses goodbye to its founding principles and moves inexorably into the arms of Iran it is on a collision course, not with the Israeli navy but with Europe.

Turkey should be suspended or kicked out of NATO for having close ties with Iran and Syria.

Apart from Israel, both the US and the EU have declared Hamas as a terrorist organisation. The UN, of course, loaded as it is with Islamic countries, sees Hamas as Turkey does; an elected group to be treated like a legitimate state actor  on a par with the illegitimate Israel.

Of course, Mr Erdogan is right. Hamas are struggling to defend their land, except the land in question is Israel which it does not recognise and seeks to destroy.

Once Turkey dreamed of being a member of the EU; it just had to tidy up its human rights record – stop persecuting Kurds, and fess up to the Armenian genocide and sort out Cyprus. Now it’s more likely to be kissing Ahmadinejad’s backside.

In fact the flotilla gave Turkey a great excuse to turn on its old friend, Israel. The relationship was becoming increasingly untenable as Erdogan got closer to Syria and Iran and as his people became increasingly radicalised.

Michael Oren, Israeli ambassador to the US agrees with this analysis:

“Turkey has embraced the leaders of Iran and Hamas, all of whom called for Israel’s destruction,”…

“Our policy has not changed but Turkey’s policy has changed, very much, over the last few years,…

“Under a different government with an Islamic orientation, Turkey has turned away from the West.”

What a tragedy for Turkey. They always did pick the wrong side in a conflict.

*For those of you who aren’t too good on irony, the headline is ironic (RC)

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