Israel Matzav

Turkey's interminable wait for hell to freeze over

Turkey is still waiting for the IDF to hand over the names of the soldiers who were involved in the Mavi Marmara takeover two years ago this month. They'll be waiting until hell freezes over.

Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin said that his bureau had approached the Israeli Foreign Ministry in a request to receive a list of the names of Israeli soldiers who are supposed to stand trial. "When we receive the information, we will issue indictments to the relevant courts," Ergin told Turkish news agency Anatolya.

The chances of Israel granting Turkey's request are slim.

Last year Turkish media outlets reported that Turkish intelligence sources handed authorities a list of 174 IDF officers and soldiers who were involved in the raid. However, Ankara soon realized that the list – which included named of soldiers who had nothing to do with the raid or were discharged prior to the incident – was inaccurate.

The Turkel Committee, which was appointed by the Israeli government following the event, collected testimonies from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and then IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi. In its conclusions, the committee determined that the IDF acted appropriately throughout the incident.

While it's conceivable - if highly unlikely - that Israel may some day issue something stronger than the regret it has already issued for the Mavi Marmara incident, YNet overstates the chances that Israel will ever turn over its soldiers to the Turks. It would be no exaggeration to say that hell will freeze over first.

Labels: Mavi Marmara, Turkish obsession with Israel

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:21 PM