THOUSANDS GREET FLOTILLA SHIP

Thousands of pro-Palestinian activists on December 26 welcomed back to Istanbul the ship that was the scene of bloodshed during an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May last. Activists meanwhile, promised to send more ships in an effort to break the Gaza blockade. Hundreds of balloons were released as the ship, Mavi Marmara, sailed into Istanbul’s Sarayburnu port, following repairs at a port on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. The activists waved Palestinian and Turkish flags and chanted “down with Israel” and “Allah is great” as they greeted the vessel. Protesters also boarded boats to welcome the approaching ship, which was adorned with a poster of the nine activists from Turkey who were killed during the raid. The ship was part of an international flotilla carrying supplies to Gaza in a campaign to breach the blockade on Gaza when Israeli troops intercepted the convoy. Eight Turks and an American-Turkish teenager were killed in the violence that erupted on board the Mavi Marmara. The incident aggravated relations between former allies Turkey and Israel that were already tense over Turkish criticism of Israel’s conflict with Palestinians. Turkey recalled its ambassador and pushed for international condemnation of Israel.