A Turkish prosecutor called on Friday called for charges related to a deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound ship to be dropped following diplomatic reconciliation between Turkey and the Zionist entity, state media reported.
Nine Turkish activists died when Zionist marines stormed the Mavi Marmara vessel as it headed to the Gaza Strip in 2010, and a 10th died in hospital in 2014.
The raid triggered a crisis in relations, with both countries withdrawing their respective ambassadors from the country capitals, though diplomatic ties were never fully severed.
The bitter rift came to an end in June this year after they held long-running secret talks in third countries with the Zionists offering an apology over the raid and $20 million in compensation.
Under the terms of the deal, both sides also agreed individual Zionists or those acting on behalf of the Zionist government would not be held liable — either criminally or financially — for the raid.
Prosecutors had been seeking life sentences for the involvement of former military chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi, former navy chief Eliezer Marom, former military intelligence head Amos Yadlin and former air force intelligence chief Avishai Levy, who went on trial in absentia in 2012.
The demand is likely to anger families and lawyers, who reportedly expressed no intention of dropping the lawsuits despite the deal.
Source: AFP
