Turkish IHH terrorists who were wounded in the clash with IDF Navy commandos on the Mavi Marmara in May 2010 said they will sue Israeli soldiers and their commanders despite Israel’s apology.
“We will continue with the criminal lawsuits we have opened against the Israeli soldiers and commanders, and we won’t accept dropping this suit if compensation is paid,” Musa Cogas, who was injured on the Mavi Marmara, said on Monday.
Turkey and Israel last month agreed to normalize ties after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized for the way in which Israel stopped the ship from trying to break the maritime embargo on Hamas-controlled Gaza.
A United Nations investigation concluded that the embargo is legal but that Israel used excessive force. Nine IHH terrorists were killed after they brutally assaulted the commandos, who boarded the ship virtually unarmed as they rappelled down a rope from a hovering helicopter.
Prime Minister Netanyahu not only has apologized but also has agreed to compensate families of those who were killed. Turkey is demanding $1 million for each family.
Israel wants Turkey to drop all lawsuits. A court case against former Israeli Chief of Staff Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and other high-ranking Israeli military officials opened in November in Istanbul. The charges reportedly include manslaughter and attempted manslaughter, causing bodily harm, deprivation of freedom, plundering, damage to property and illegal confiscation of property.
Meanwhile, although Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he wants to improve relations with Israel, he has not changed his positive view of Hamas and plans to visit Gaza later this month.
