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{{Short description|Turkish passenger ship}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{pp-30-500|small=yes}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{lead too short|date=August 2014}}
{{Cleanup|reason=NPOV, grammar, and style issues)|date=August 2016}}
}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2019}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin|infobox caption=MV ''Mavi Marmara''}}
{{Infobox ship image {{Infobox ship image
|Ship image = ] |Ship image = Mavi Marmara leaving port.jpg
|Ship caption = MV ''{{lang|tr|Mavi Marmara}}'' leaving Antalya for Gaza on May 22, 2010 |Ship caption = MV ''{{lang|tr|Mavi Marmara}}'' leaving Antalya for Gaza on May 22, 2010.
}} }}
{{Infobox ship career {{Infobox ship career
|Hide header= |Hide header=
|Ship country =Comoros |Ship country =Comoros
|Ship flag = ] |Ship flag = ]
|Ship name= MV ''{{lang|tr|Mavi Marmara}}'' |Ship name= MV ''{{lang|tr|Mavi Marmara}}''
|Ship owner={{lang|tr|]}}<ref name="hurriyet-turkish rights" /> |Ship owner={{lang|tr|]}}<ref name="hurriyet-turkish rights" />
|Ship operator={{lang|tr|]}}<ref name="hurriyet-turkish rights" /> |Ship operator={{lang|tr|IHH (İnsani Yardım Vakfı)}}<ref name="hurriyet-turkish rights" />
|Ship ordered= |Ship ordered=
|Ship builder= {{lang|tr|Türkiye Gemi Sanayi A.Ş.}}<ref name="tg"/> |Ship builder= {{lang|tr|Türkiye Gemi Sanayii A.Ş.}}<ref name="tg">{{cite web |url=http://www.turkgemileri.com/ships/mavimarmara.htm |publisher=Türk Gemileri |title=Mavi Marmara |language=tr |access-date=May 31, 2010 }}</ref>
|Ship yard number= 302<ref name="tg"/> |Ship yard number= 302<ref name="tg"/>
|Ship laid down= |Ship laid down=
|Ship launched= |Ship launched=
|Ship completed= November 9, 1994<ref name="dto">{{cite web |url=http://www.dtoizmir.org/ShiplistDetay%281%29.pdf |publisher=Izmir Maritime Chamber of Commerce|title=Detay Gemi Listesi |language=Turkish |accessdate=2010-05-31 }} |</ref> |Ship completed= November 9, 1994<ref name="dto">{{cite web |url=http://www.dtoizmir.org/ShiplistDetay%281%29.pdf |publisher=Izmir Maritime Chamber of Commerce |title=Detay Gemi Listesi |language=tr |access-date=May 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011055338/http://www.dtoizmir.org/ShiplistDetay(1).pdf |archive-date=October 11, 2010 }} |</ref>
|Ship christened= |Ship christened=
|Ship renamed= |Ship renamed=
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|Ship in service= |Ship in service=
|Ship out of service= |Ship out of service=
|Ship homeport= ] (2010). Previously ], ] |Ship homeport= ] (2010). Previously ], Turkey
|Ship fate= |Ship fate=
|Ship status= |Ship status=
|Ship identification= {{IMO Number|9005869}}<ref name="ds">{{cite web |url=http://www.digital-seas.com/vessel_search/vessel_details/on/d6fu2_m_s_mavi_marmara_q2052726.html |publisher=Digital Seas |title=MS Mavi Marmara |accessdate=2010-05-31 }}</ref> |Ship identification= {{IMO Number|9005869}}<ref name="ds">{{cite web |url=http://www.digital-seas.com/vessel_search/vessel_details/on/d6fu2_m_s_mavi_marmara_q2052726.html |publisher=Digital Seas |title=MS Mavi Marmara |access-date=May 31, 2010 }}</ref>
}} }}
{{Infobox ship characteristics {{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header= |Hide header=
|Header caption= |Header caption=
|Ship class= Passenger ship |Ship type= Passenger ship
|Ship tonnage= {{GT|4,142|first=short}} |Ship tonnage= {{GT|4,142}}
|Ship displacement= |Ship displacement=
|Ship length= {{convert|93|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="ds"/> |Ship length= {{convert|93|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="ds"/>
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|Ship height= |Ship height=
|Ship draught= |Ship draught=
|Ship draft={{convert|4|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="mt">{{cite web |url=http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/tr/shipdetails.aspx?mmsi=616952000&header=true |publisher=Marine Traffic |title=M/S Mavi Marmara |language=Turkish |accessdate=2010-05-31 }}</ref> |Ship draft={{convert|4|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="mt">{{cite web |url=http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/tr/shipdetails.aspx?mmsi=616952000&header=true |publisher=Marine Traffic |title=M/S Mavi Marmara |language=tr |access-date=May 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604052004/http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/tr/shipdetails.aspx?mmsi=616952000&header=true |archive-date=June 4, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|Ship depth= |Ship depth=
|Ship ice class= |Ship ice class=
|Ship sail plan= |Ship sail plan=
|Ship power= 4,400 kW<ref name="dto"/> |Ship power= 4,400 kW<ref name="dto"/>
|Ship propulsion= 2<ref name="dto"/> |Ship propulsion= 2{{clarify|date=April 2012}}<ref name="dto"/>
|Ship auxiliary propulsion= |Ship auxiliary propulsion=
|Ship speed= max. {{convert|9.9|kn|km/h mph|}}- avg. {{convert|7.2|kn|km/h mph|}}<ref name="mt"/> |Ship speed= max. {{convert|9.9|kn}}- avg. {{convert|7.2|kn}}<ref name="mt"/>
|Ship capacity=1,080 passengers<ref name="ido"/> |Ship capacity=1,080 passengers<ref name="ido"/>
|Ship crew= |Ship crew=
|Ship notes= |Ship notes=
}} }}
|}{{gaza blockade}}
|}


'''MV ''{{lang|tr|Mavi Marmara}}''''' ({{lang-en|Blue Marmara}}, where MV is an abbreviation of ]) is a ]-flagged <ref>{{cite news|title=İsrail ‘uluslararası suları’ kabul etti|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/14896132.asp|date=1 June 2010}}</ref> passenger ship, which was formerly owned and operated by ] on the line ], Istanbul-]-] in the ]. Built at the Golden Gate Shipyard by Turkish Shipbuilding Co. in 1994, the ship has a capacity of 1,080 passengers.<ref name="ido">{{cite web |url=http://www.ido.com.tr/index.cfm?page=SubPage&textid=846&kapsam=7&ln=tr |publisher=IDO |title=Mavi Marmara Yolcu Gemisi |language=Turkish |accessdate=2010-05-31 }}</ref> '''MV ''Mavi Marmara''''' is a ]-flagged<ref>{{cite news|title=İsrail 'uluslararası suları' kabul etti|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/14896132.asp|date=June 1, 2010}}</ref> passenger ship, which was formerly owned and operated by ] on the line ], Istanbul-]-] in the ]. Built at the Golden Gate Shipyard by Turkish Shipbuilding Co. in 1994, the ship has a capacity of 1,080 passengers.<ref name="ido">{{cite web |url=http://www.ido.com.tr/index.cfm?page=SubPage&textid=846&kapsam=7&ln=tr |publisher=IDO |title=Mavi Marmara Yolcu Gemisi |language=tr |access-date=May 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603232355/http://www.ido.com.tr/index.cfm?page=SubPage&textid=846&kapsam=7&ln=tr |archive-date=June 3, 2010 }}</ref> It is best known for its participation in the ] and the deadly confrontation that took place on it during the ].


==History==
== Gaza Freedom Flotilla ==
{{details|Gaza flotilla raid}}


===Gaza Freedom Flotilla===
The ship was purchased in 2010 by the ], an ]ic ] ] active as a charity organization in more than 115 countries.<ref name=BBC_01June2010a>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10202678.stm |title=Profile: Free Gaza Movement |author= |date=1 June 2010 |work=BBC News|publisher=BBC |accessdate=29 April 2011}}</ref> The group has represented its Turkish language name in English in various ways, "IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ihh.org.tr/ihh-dan-israil-raporuna-aciklama/en/|title=IHH Statement Regarding The Israeli Report|quote=IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation continues to insist on its request for an international probe to independently investigate the Israeli attack on Mavi Marmara.}}</ref> among them. It has held ] with the ] since 2004,<ref name="ecosoc">{{Cite web|title=Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief, The |url=http://esango.un.org/civilsociety/showProfileDetail.do?method=showProfileDetails&tab=1&profileCode=2525 |publisher=NGO Branch, ]|accessdate=2010-06-02}}</ref><ref name="ecosocNGOlist">{{Cite web|title=List of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council as of 1 September 2009 | url=http://esango.un.org/paperless/content/E2009INF4.pdf |publisher=] |accessdate=2010-06-08}}</ref> and is endorsed by international figures that include South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire.<ref name=BBC_01June2010a/><ref name=Telegraph_31May2010a>{{Cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/7790919/Gaza-flotilla-the-Free-Gaza-Movement-and-the-IHH.html |title=Gaza flotilla: the Free Gaza Movement and the IHH |author= Spencer, Richard |date=31 May 2010 |publisher= '']'' |accessdate=29 April 2011}}</ref> Israel's ], an NGO with close ties to the Israeli Defense Forces, along with multiple Israeli governmental officials have alleged that the IHH supports terrorism, has smuggled arms on behalf of terrorist groups, and has links to al-Qaeda and other Jihadist groups.<ref name=BBC_01June2010a/><ref name=Telegraph_31May2010a/> The IHH denies these claims, and Greta Berlin, a director of the ], called the claims "utterly scurrilous", characterizing them as an attempt by the Israeli government to discredit the movement.<ref name=BBC_01June2010a/>In 2010, the US State Department expressed great concern over the group's links with senior Hamas officials.<ref name="US concern about IHH-Hamas links">{{cite news|title=US concerned over IHH-Hamas ties|url=http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=177328|work=The Jerusalem Post|date=06 March 2010}}</ref>
{{main|Gaza flotilla raid}}


The MV ''{{lang|tr|Mavi Marmara}}'' was purchased in 2010 by the ], a ] NGO active as a charity organization in more than 115 countries.<ref name=BBC_01June2010a>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10202678.stm |title=Profile: Free Gaza Movement |date=June 1, 2010 |work=BBC News|publisher=BBC |access-date=April 29, 2011}}</ref> The group has represented its Turkish language name in English in various ways, "IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ihh.org.tr/ihh-dan-israil-raporuna-aciklama/en/ |title=IHH Statement Regarding The Israeli Report |quote=IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation continues to insist on its request for an international probe to independently investigate the Israeli attack on Mavi Marmara. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820132306/http://www.ihh.org.tr/ihh-dan-israil-raporuna-aciklama/en |archive-date=August 20, 2010 }}</ref> among them. It has held ] with the ] since 2004,<ref name="ecosoc">{{Cite web|title=Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief, The |url=http://esango.un.org/civilsociety/showProfileDetail.do?method=showProfileDetails&tab=1&profileCode=2525 |publisher=NGO Branch, ]|access-date=June 2, 2010}}</ref><ref name="ecosocNGOlist">{{Cite web|title=List of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council as of 1 September 2009 | url=http://esango.un.org/paperless/content/E2009INF4.pdf |publisher=] |access-date=June 8, 2010}}</ref> and is endorsed by international figures that include South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire.<ref name=BBC_01June2010a/><ref name=Telegraph_31May2010a>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/7790919/Gaza-flotilla-the-Free-Gaza-Movement-and-the-IHH.html |title=Gaza flotilla: the Free Gaza Movement and the IHH |author= Spencer, Richard |date=May 31, 2010 |work=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=April 29, 2011 |location=London}}</ref>
The IHH acquired the ''Mavi Marmara'' at a cost of $800,000, to be defrayed by public donations, as no shipowner was willing to risk their vessel on the journey.<ref name="hurriyet-turkish rights">{{cite news|title=Turkish rights group's cargo ship to set sail with Gaza aid|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=cargo-ship-will-set-out-to-gaza-to-deliver-aid-2010-04-13|work=Hürriyet|date=13 May 2010}}</ref> The ship took part in a flotilla of ships operated by activist groups from 37 different countries with the intention of directly confronting the ].


The German IHH is classified in Israel and Holland as a terrorist organization.<ref>{{cite news |author=Benjamin Weinthal |url=https://www.jpost.com/international/dutch-government-places-ihh-on-terror-list |title=Dutch government places IHH on terror list |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |date=May 1, 2011 |access-date=May 6, 2024}}</ref> Much of their money goes to the ], which is designated as a ] by the US ] and banned by Executive Order 13224.<ref name="eo-13224" /> In 2010, the US State Department expressed great concern over the group's links with senior Hamas officials.<ref name="US concern about IHH-Hamas links">{{cite news|title=US concerned over IHH-Hamas ties|url=http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=177328|work=The Jerusalem Post|date=March 6, 2010}}</ref> Israel's ], an NGO with close ties to the Israeli Defense Forces, along with multiple Israeli governmental officials have alleged that the IHH supports terrorism, has smuggled arms on behalf of terrorist groups, and has links to al-Qaeda and other Jihadist groups.<ref name=BBC_01June2010a/><ref name=Telegraph_31May2010a/> The IHH denies these claims, and Greta Berlin, a director of the ], called the claims "utterly scurrilous", characterizing them as an attempt by the Israeli government to discredit the movement.<ref name=BBC_01June2010a/>
== The Boarding of the Marvi Marmara ==
On the 31 May 2010 in the early morning at 4:30 IST, the Israeli Navy radioed Tural Mahmut, the captain of the Mavi Marmara, sending him this message: "Mavi Marmara, you are approaching an area of hostilities, which is under a naval blockade. The Gaza coastal area and Gaza Harbour are closed to all maritime traffic. The Israeli government supports delivery of humanitarian supplies to the civilian population in Gaza Strip and invites you to enter Ashdod port. Delivery of supplies will be in accordance with the authorities' regulations and through the formal land crossing to Gaza and under your observation, after which you can return to your home ports aboard the vessels on which you arrived." The reply was: "Negative, negative. Our destination is Gaza." <ref name="IDF - Navy Warns Flotilla (31 May 2010) - YouTube">{{Cite news|title=IDF Warns Flotilla|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6jDIQr59S - YouTube|Website=YouTube | date=31 May 2010}}</ref> The boarding operation began with an attempt to board the ship from speedboats. As the boats approached, activists fired water hoses at them, and pelted them with a variety of objects. The Israelis replied with paintballs and stun grenades. One stun grenade was picked up and tossed back into a boat. When the commandos tried boarding the ship, activists cut the ladders with electric disc saws. The boats then turned slightly away from the ship, but remained close.<ref name="DeathInTheMed">{{Cite news
|publisher=BBC |date=20 August 2010
|title=Death in the Med |work=BBC News
|url=cnews.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/default.stm
|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5sQWBREWH |archivedate=1 September 2010
|postscript=. See also
}}</ref>{{Sfn|IDF timeline part 1|2010|loc=5:57–6:19}}


However, IHH Turkey has denied any links to the group in Germany<ref>{{cite web |date=July 17, 2010 |title=We have no links with the IHH in Germany |location=Istanbul |publisher=] |url=http://www.ihh.org.tr/en/main/region/europe/11/we-have-no-links-with-the-ihh-in-germany/168 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205093753/https://www.ihh.org.tr/en/news/we-have-no-links-with-the-ihh-in-germany-168 |archive-date=February 5, 2017}}</ref> and, as of 2016, continues to work on projects in Gaza.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lee |first=Iara |date=July 16, 2010 |title=Slandering the Good Guys: Some Basic Facts About IHH |work=] |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/slandering-the-good-guys_b_649604 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728130123/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/slandering-the-good-guys_b_649604 |archive-date=July 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Fleishman |first=Jeffrey |date=June 6, 2010 |title=Turkish charity defends actions |work=] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jun-06-la-fg-turkey-charity-20100606-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728130947/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jun-06-la-fg-turkey-charity-20100606-story.html |archive-date=July 28, 2019}}</ref> Turkish legal authorities are investigating allegations that one of the key figures behind the May 2010 Gaza flotilla, ], was involved in transferring funds to al-Qaida, the Turkish daily Habertürk reported on June 15, 2012.<ref name="Turkey investigating IHH head for funding al-Qaida">{{cite news|title=Turkey investigating IHH head for funding al-Qaida|url=http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?ID=273979&R=R1|work=The Jerusalem Post|date=June 15, 2010}}</ref>
The IDF then sent in a ] with a 15-man assault team on board.<ref name="DeathInTheMed"/>{{Sfn|IDF timeline part 1|2010|loc=6:20–6:29}}<ref name="BBC_Shoukri">{{Cite news|title=Israeli PM 'regrets' deaths as troops storm aid ships |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/10199480.stm |newspaper=BBC | date=31 May 2010}}</ref> According to the IDF, the commandos fired warning shots and dropped stun grenades prior to ]ing onto the ship.<ref>{{cite news |last=Katz |first=Yaakov |date=4 June 2010 |title='We had no choice' |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=177445 |work=Jerusalem Post |accessdate=1 July 2011}}</ref> The UNHRC report on the incident concluded that the Israeli soldiers were firing live rounds from the helicopter before they landed anyone on the ship.{{Sfn|UNHRC report|2010|p=26}} Passengers reported gunfire, blue flares and deafening noise from the first helicopter at this time.<ref name="detailsem">{{Cite news|last=Friedman |first=Matti |title=Details emerge of bloodshed aboard Gaza-bound ship |url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/02/AR2010060203641.html |accessdate=3 June 2010 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2 June 2010 |agency=Associated Press}}{{Dead link|date=July 2010}}</ref><ref name="GuardianZoubi">{{cite news| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10208027 |work=BBC News | title=Witnesses cast doubt on Israel's convoy raid account | date=1 June 2010}}</ref> ] journalist ] stated that he saw one man shot in the head and others wounded.<ref name="aljazeera-20100603">{{cite web
|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/video/middleeast/2010/06/201063123021327499.html
|title=Interview with Jamal Elshayyal |work=Al Jazeera English |date=3 June 2010 |accessdate=16 August 2011
}}</ref> Robert Mackey of '']'' suggested that the passengers on the ship may have mistaken flash grenades and paintball guns for deadly weapons, which enraged them.<ref name="NYT Mock">{{Cite news|last=Mackey|first=Robert|journal=New York Times|title=Israelis Explain, and Mock, Flotilla Clash|date=4 June 2010|url=http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/israelis-explain-and-mock-flotilla-clash/|accessdate=8 June 2010}}</ref> Activists and crew members used ]s.<ref group="text">{{cite web |last=Yağcı |first=Cahide Hayrunnisa |date=1 June 2010 |url=http://www.timeturk.com/israil-yaralilara-mudaheleye-izin-vermedi_127607-haberi.html |title=İsrail yaralılara müdaheleye izin vermedi! |language=Turkish |trans_title=Israel did not allow attention to the wounded! |publisher=Timeturk |accessdate=4 June 2010 |ref=harv |quote={{lang|tr|O sırada gaz maskelerimizi ve şişme yeleklerimizi takmamızı ilan ettiler.}} }}</ref>


The IHH acquired the ''Mavi Marmara'' at a cost of $800,000, to be defrayed by public donations, as no shipowner was willing to risk their vessel on the journey.<ref name="hurriyet-turkish rights">{{cite news|title=Turkish rights group's cargo ship to set sail with Gaza aid|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=cargo-ship-will-set-out-to-gaza-to-deliver-aid-2010-04-13|work=Hürriyet|date=May 13, 2010}}</ref> The ship took part in a flotilla of ships operated by activist groups from 37 different countries with the intention of directly confronting the ]. On May 30, 2010, while in ] and en route to Gaza, Israeli Naval Forces communicated that a naval blockade over the Gaza area was in force and ordered the ships to follow them to ] or to be boarded. The ships declined and were boarded in international waters. The boarding started at 2&nbsp;am on May 31, 2010, and was completed by 8&nbsp;am. Reports from journalists on the ship<ref>{{cite news |last=Gabbatt |first=Adam |date=May 31, 2010 |title=Israel attacks Gaza flotilla&nbsp;- live coverage |work=] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/blog/2010/may/31/israel-troops-gaza-ships |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130914225959/https://www.theguardian.com/world/blog/2010/may/31/israel-troops-gaza-ships |archive-date=September 14, 2013}}</ref> and from the UN report on the incident concluded that the Israeli military opened fire with live rounds before boarding the ship.<ref name="live rounds"/>
A rope was dropped from the helicopter onto the ship, but three activists seized it and tied it to the deck.{{Sfn|IDF timeline part 1|2010|loc=6:48–6:59}} A second rope was dropped and the soldiers abseiled onto the deck. Each soldier was met with a team of resisting activists, throwing them off balance and assaulting them with makeshift weapons.<ref name="Nahmias-2010">{{Cite web
|last=Nahmias |first=Roee |date=31 May 2010
|title=Casualties reported during IDF raid on Gaza sail
|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3896416,00.html
|work=Ynetnews |location=Tel Aviv |accessdate=31 May 2010
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Activists' eyewitness accounts detail Israeli raid on Gaza aid ship |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=activists-eyewitness-accounts-detail-israeli-raid-on-gaza-aid-ship-2010-06-03 |work=Hürriyet |date=3 June 2010}}<br />• {{Cite news|url=http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-212070-ihh-chief-tells-of-violence-chaos-on-international-aid-ship.html|title=İHH chief tells of violence, chaos on international aid ship|date=4 June 2010 |publisher=Today's Zaman|accessdate=17 August 2010}}<br />• {{Cite news|title = Eyewitness Kevin Ovenden from the Freedom Flotilla: 'I saw people shot' |location = Socialist Worker |date=3 June 2010 |accessdate=4 June 2010 |url = http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=21438 }}<br />• {{cite web|author=Kevin Ovenden |url=http://www.socialistworker.org/2010/06/07/an-act-of-state-terrorism |title=An act of state terrorism |publisher=SocialistWorker.org |date=7 June 2010 |accessdate=3 April 2011}}<br />• {{Cite news|last=Siegel |first=Judy |coauthors=Associated Press |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=177156 |work=Jerusalem Post |title=Red Cross visits wounded activists |date=1 June 2010 |accessdate=4 June 2010}}</ref> The IDF also reported that a firebomb was thrown at soldiers. During The Israeli commandos responded with their less-lethal weaponry and attempted to physically fight off activists.


====Violent incident====
. June 08, 2010. Fox News</ref>]]
Passengers on the ship actively attempted to thwart a landing on the ship by Israeli commandos. In the violent clash that followed, nine activists were killed (according to the UN Report),<ref>{{cite web |title=Fifteenth session, agenda item 1 |date=September 27, 2010 |publisher=] |url=http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/15session/A.HRC.15.21_en.pdf |access-date=July 28, 2019 |ref={{harvid|HRC report|2010}}}}</ref> and a tenth died four years later of his wounds.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 25, 2014 |title=Mavi Marmara death toll rises to 10 |work=] |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/humanrights/2014/05/mavi-marmara-death-toll-rises-10-2014525145911267813.html |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160521011309/http://www.aljazeera.com/humanrights/2014/05/mavi-marmara-death-toll-rises-10-2014525145911267813.html |archive-date=May 21, 2016 |access-date=May 20, 2016 }}</ref> Several dozen activists were claimed to be injured, some seriously. Israel claimed 10 of its soldiers were injured, one seriously.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/10195838.stm|title=Deaths as Israeli forces storm Gaza aid ship|publisher=BBC News|date=May 31, 2010}}</ref>
Three Israeli commandos were captured. The first captured soldier, the commanding officer of the assault team, was abseiling from the helicopter when he was attacked by ten men before his feet hit the deck. He was beaten across his body and head, then picked up and thrown to the lower deck, where he was attacked by a dozen activists. They beat and choked him, removed his bulletproof vest and sidearm and smashed his helmet, and shoved him into a passenger hall below deck. The second soldier was surrounded by a team of fifteen to twenty activists in two groups. One group attacked him when he landed on the ship's roof. He fired one shot at an activist holding a knife before being subdued.<ref name="Raved-2010">{{cite news
|last=Raved |first=Ahiya |date=31 May 2010
|title='20 people threw me from deck'
|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3897486,00.html |work=Ynetnews |location=Tel Aviv
|accessdate=24 June 2011
}}</ref> The activists seized his gun and beat him as he attempted to fight them off with his back to the hull. He was picked up by his arms and legs, and thrown over the hull. He attempted to hang on to the hull with both hands, but was forced to let go when activists beat his hands and pulled him down by his legs. He was then surrounded by another group of activists, stabbed in the stomach and was dragged into a lounge while being beaten. A third soldier who was lowered onto the deck saw an activist waiting to attack him with an iron crowbar. After shoving him away, he was attacked by four more activists, one of whom wrapped a chain around his neck and choked him until he lost consciousness. He was then thrown onto the bridge deck where he was attacked by about twenty activists, who beat him, cut away his equipment, and dragged him into the lounge.{{Sfn|Meir Amit report|2010|p=21}} The three soldiers were severely wounded and bleeding heavily. Two of the soldiers had their hands tied, and a third was unconscious and went into convulsions. During their captivity, they were subjected to physical and verbal abuse, and photographed and filmed. One of the soldiers claimed that he was beaten after he began moving and yelling that one of the soldiers needed a doctor, and another said that he was placed onto a couch, beaten, and threatened that he would be beaten every time he moved.{{Sfn|Meir Amit report|2010|p=20}} Although radical activists attempted to harm them further, more moderate passengers intervened and protected the soldiers.{{Sfn|Meir Amit report|2010|pp=3, 7 (see footnote), 20}} Two were given water and one with a severe stomach wound was given a gauze pad. Hasan Huseyin Uysal, a Turkish doctor, cleaned the blood off their faces and tended to facial cuts.<ref name="ynetnews1">{{Cite web
|author=Ynet |date=10 June 2010
|title=Turkish doctor who treated soldiers says more humane
|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3903079,00.html
|work=Ynetnews |location=Tel Aviv |accessdate=24 June 2011
}}</ref>
]
]
Israel and the flotilla activists disagreed over whether guns seized from the captive soldiers were used by the activists.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/appeals/esc_bulletins/2011/death_in_med.pdf |title=Finding of the Editorial Standards Committee of the BBC Trust – Panorama:Death in the Med |page=48}}. Ken O'Keefe, one of the activists, said "What I do know for sure is that I had one of their guns... And if I wanted to use that gun I could easily have used it... But I didn’t do that and I did not see anybody from IHH use a weapon. If we wanted to we could have used weapons and killed some of their soldiers. That is a fact."</ref> Commandos reported that at least two of the captive soldiers had their sidearms wrested away, and that there was live fire against them at a later stage.<ref name="cnn israeli version">{{Cite news|title=Israeli military gives version of flotilla incident|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/05/31/gaza.flotilla.israeli.raid/|publisher=CNN | date=31 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Ynet |date=31 May 2010 |title=IDF chief: No connection between Gaza sail and peace efforts |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3896684,00.html |work=Ynetnews |location=Tel Aviv |accessdate=3 June 2010}}</ref><ref name="Israelis saw flotilla as political provocation that had to be stopped">{{cite web|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/0601/1224271581953.html |title=Israelis saw flotilla as political provocation that had to be stopped |work=The Irish Times |date=1 June 2010 |accessdate=3 April 2011}}</ref> According to the IDF, activists also used firearms that they brought along with them, as investigators found bullet casings not matching IDF-issued guns. The IDF reported that the second soldier to descend from the first helicopter was shot in the stomach,{{Sfn|Meir Amit report|2010|p=8}} and another soldier was shot in the knee. IDF Chief of Staff ] said that activists also seized three stun grenades from soldiers.<ref name="Ashkenazi Bullets">{{cite news|last=Williams|first=Dan|agency=Reuters |title=Israelis Fired 308 Bullets Aboard Gaza Ship|date=24 October 2010|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/10/24/us-israel-flotilla-general-idUSTRE69N0Q320101024|accessdate=13 June 2011}}</ref>


The U.N. report stated that knives from the ship's kitchens (plus one traditional, ceremonial knife), some catapults (slingshots) and metal pipes the passengers cut from the ship's railings were found. Turkey unveiled its final report on the Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound aid convoy on February 11, 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=364071|title=Turkey unveils its final report on Israeli attack on Gaza-bound aid convoy|publisher=Turkish Press|date=February 11, 2011}}</ref> The Israeli government-appointed ] unveiled its final report in January 2011, and found both the blockade and the force used by the Israeli soldiers to be legal. A Polish authority on admiralty law, Professor Andrzej Makowski of the Polish Naval Academy in Gdynia, also upheld this view in an extensive article in the '']'' in May 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://israelcfr.com/documents/7-2/7-2-6-AndrzejMakowski.pdf|title=The Mavi Marmara Incident and the Modern Law of Armed Conflict at Sea|publisher=Israel Journal on Foreign Relations|date= May 2013}}</ref>
After the third soldier was thrown from the roof, the commandos requested and received permission to use live fire.<ref name="Raved-2010"/><ref name="brutal ambush">{{Cite web
|last=Ben-Yishai |first=Ron |authorlink=Ron Ben-Yishai |date=31 May 2010
|title=A brutal ambush at sea
|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3896796,00.html
|work=Ynetnews |location=Tel Aviv |accessdate=31 May 2010
}}</ref> The soldiers then opened fire with pistols, and activists dispersed to the front and back of the roof after taking casualties. An IDF medical officer on board located a secure spot, and oversaw treatment of injured soldiers. A second helicopter carrying 12 soldiers arrived over the ship. As the helicopter approached, activists attacked the IDF commandos, who repulsed them with gunshots aimed at their legs. At the same time, the speedboats trailing the ship approached again. They were met with a barrage of objects, including iron balls from slingshots, and allegedly with a burst of gunfire, forcing the boats to pull back again.{{Sfn|IDF timeline part 1|2010|loc=7:48–8:39 (end)}}{{Sfn|Meir Amit report|2010|p=5}}


Soldiers from the second helicopter successfully slid down and moved to gain control of the front of the roof and secure the lower decks. Passengers attacked them, and were dispersed with shots fired towards their legs. The first attempt to secure the lower decks was met with violent resistance, allegedly including live fire. Shortly afterward, a third helicopter arrived, carrying 14 soldiers. They successfully abseiled onto the ship, and the commander from the third helicopter met up with the commander from the second helicopter, after which the forces began moving towards the ship's bridge. They were attacked twice by activists, and responded with gunfire. The commandos reached the bridge after thirty minutes, and took command. Upon orders from the soldiers, the captain instructed all activists to enter their cabins. At this stage, most of the activists assembled on the sides of the ship retreated into the hull. The speedboats approached for a third time, and most of the remaining activists again hurled objects at the boats. Soldiers inside the boats then opened fire, taking careful aim to hit the resisting passengers and forcing the activists to disperse, enabling the soldiers to board from ladders. The soldiers were met with resistance, and responded with live fire. They managed to fight their way to the roof, where they met up with the rest of the force.<ref name="DeathInTheMed"/>{{Sfn|IDF timeline part 2|2010|loc=0:00–2:21}} An assessment was made, and three soldiers were found to be missing. A force was prepared to rush the passenger halls and locate the soldiers. According to the IDF, soldiers spotted activists escorting the three captive soldiers onto the deck. One of the captive soldiers claimed that the activist guarding him waved to one of the IDF naval vessels to show that they were holding Israeli soldiers. At that point, he elbowed the activist in the ribs and jumped into the water, although the guard tried to hold him back. A second soldier also jumped into the water, while the third remained unconscious on the deck. IDF soldiers dispersed the activists with non-lethal weapons, and rescued the unconscious soldier, while the two soldiers in the water were picked up by the speedboats.{{Sfn|IDF timeline part 2|2010|loc=2:22–3:04}}<ref name="brutal ambush"/>{{Sfn|Meir Amit report|2010|p=16}} According to some accounts by activists and journalists, the captive soldiers were released after negotiations mediated by ], in which the IDF agreed to airlift the wounded in exchange for their release.<ref name="Harel-2010">{{Cite web
|last=Harel |first=Amos |date=4 June 2010
|title=Israel Navy: 3 commandos nearly taken hostage in Gaza flotilla raid
|url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-navy-3-commandos-nearly-taken-hostage-in-gaza-flotilla-raid-1.294114
|work=] |accessdate=1 July 2011 |ref=harv <!--also cited by ref Haaretz9mm -->
}}</ref><ref name="ynetnews1"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nahmias |first=Roee |date=9 June 2010 |title=Egyptian lawmaker slammed for speaking of beaten troops |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3902389,00.html |work=Ynetnews |location=Tel Aviv |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5saXLRgBL |archivedate=8 September 2010 |deadurl=no |accessdate=24 June 2011}}<br />• {{cite web |date=7 June 2010 |author=Ynet and agencies |title=Soldiers thought we would kill them |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3900842,00.html |work=Ynetnews |location=Tel Aviv |accessdate=24 June 2011}}<br />• {{Cite news |author=Yara Bayoumy |date=3 June 2010 |title=Israeli marines were held during ship raid-witness: Soldiers freed after Israel agreed to airlift wounded |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE6521UG |agency=Reuters |accessdate=5 June 2010}}<br />• {{Cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/gaza-flotilla-captain-activists-prepared-attack-against-idf-raid-1.295591|title=Gaza flotilla captain: Activists prepared attack against IDF raid.|work=Haaretz|date=11 June 2010|archivedate=29 August 2010|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5sLdoSPRh}}</ref><ref name="aljazeera-20100603"/>
The UN report of the incident stated that knives from the ship's kitchens (plus one traditional, ceremonial knife), some catapults (slingshots) and metal pipes the passengers cut from the ship's railings were found. Turkey unveiled its final report on Israeli attack on Gaza-bound aid convoy on 11 Feb 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=364071|title=Turkey unveils its final report on Israeli attack on Gaza-bound aid convoy|publisher=Turkish Press|date=11 Feb 2011}}</ref>


==Release and return home==
]
Israeli government decided on July 23, 2010 to release the three ships of the Gaza Freedom flotilla, two of which were forced to moor at the ] and the third one at the ] since then. To bring the ships back home, three ]s were dispatched from Turkey. ''Mavi Marmara'' was towed by ''Ocean Ergun'' in a two-day ride to the Port of ] arriving an August 7, 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/15485007.asp |newspaper=] |title=Mavi Marmara gemisi Türkiye doğru yola çıkıyor |date=2010-08-04 |language=Turkish }}</ref>


====Release and return home====
The damage on the ship was visible from far even though nobody was permitted to board her due to investigations underway by the public prosecutor and insurance people. There were some broken windows on the ship and also bullet holes on the glass of the ]. The IHH emblem on the ship's ] was over-painted white.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/15505285.asp |newspaper=] |title=‘Mavi Marmara' İskenderun'da |date=2010-08-07 |language=Turkish }}</ref> Forensic teams identified some 250 bullet holes in the ship, many of which were painted or plastered over by Israel.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.radikal.com.tr/Radikal.aspx?aType=RadikalDetay&ArticleID=1013066&Date=11.08.2010&CategoryID=77|newspaper=]|date=2010-08-10|language=Turkish}}</ref>
]


The Israeli government decided on July 23, 2010, to release the three ships of the Gaza Freedom flotilla, two of which had been moored at the ] and the third at the ] since their interception. Three Turkish ]s were dispatched to bring the ships back to Turkey. The ''Mavi Marmara'' was towed by the ''Ocean Ergun'' in a two-day ride to the Port of ], arriving an August 7, 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/dunya/15485007.asp |newspaper=] |title=Mavi Marmara gemisi Türkiye doğru yola çıkıyor |date=August 4, 2010 |language=tr }}</ref>
The ship returned to ] harbour on December 26, 2010, in a welcoming ceremony attended by thousands.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-230733-thousands-greets-mavi-marmara-aid-ship.html |newspaper=] |title=Thousands greets Mavi Marmara aid ship |date=2010-12-26}}</ref>


Nobody was permitted to board the ''Mavi Marmara'' due to investigations underway by the public prosecutor, but broken windows and bullet holes on the glass of the ] were visible in pictures released. The IHH emblem on the ship's ] was painted over in white.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/15505285.asp |newspaper=] |title='Mavi Marmara' İskenderun'da |date=August 7, 2010 |language=tr }}</ref> According to Turkish news, forensic teams identified some 250 bullet holes in the ship, many of which they claim were painted or plastered over by Israel.<ref>{{cite news |last=Aktuğ |first=Ufuk |date=August 10, 2010 |title=Mavi Marmara'da 250 mermi izi çıktı |trans-title=250 bullet scars found on the Mavi Marmara |language=tr |url=http://www.radikal.com.tr/Radikal.aspx?aType=RadikalDetay&ArticleID=1013066&Date=11.08.2010&CategoryID=77 |newspaper=] |access-date=January 19, 2014}}</ref> The ship returned to ] harbour on December 26, 2010, in a welcoming ceremony attended by thousands.<ref>{{cite news |title=Thousands greets Mavi Marmara aid ship |date=December 26, 2010 |newspaper=] |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-230733-thousands-greets-mavi-marmara-aid-ship.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101228032842/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-230733-thousands-greets-mavi-marmara-aid-ship.html |archive-date=December 28, 2010}}</ref>
==Freedom Flotilla II==

===Freedom Flotilla II===
{{main|Freedom Flotilla II}} {{main|Freedom Flotilla II}}
A coalition of 22 ]s announced on 9 May 2011 that Freedom Flotilla II was planned for the third week of June.<ref name="NYT_11May2011a">{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/world/middleeast/12iht-M12-TURK-FLEET.html |newspaper=] |title=A Year After Israeli Raid, 2nd Flotilla to Set Sail for Gaza |date=11 May 2011}}</ref> The ''Financial Times'' reported on 17 June 2011 that the Mavi Marmara would not be sailing, as previously announced. The ] said that after damage caused last year to the ship, that it was not in a position to put to sea. The group stressed that it would still be part of the new flotilla; members of the group will board other ships in the effort.<ref></ref> A coalition of 22 NGOs announced on May 9, 2011, that a "Freedom Flotilla II" was planned for the third week of June 2011.<ref name="NYT_11May2011a">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/world/middleeast/12iht-M12-TURK-FLEET.html |newspaper=] |title=A Year After Israeli Raid, 2nd Flotilla to Set Sail for Gaza |date=May 11, 2011 |first=Susanne |last=Güsten}}</ref> The ''Financial Times'' reported on June 17, 2011, that the ''Mavi Marmara'' would not be sailing, as previously announced. The ] said that after damage caused last year to the ship, that it was not in a position to put to sea. The group stressed that it would still be part of the new flotilla; members of the group will board other ships in the effort.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 17, 2011 |author=Tobias Buck |work=Financial Times |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ec4ab2dc-98eb-11e0-bd66-00144feab49a.html#axzz1Q5NwJZP2 |title=Turkish flagship pulls out of Gaza flotilla |access-date=June 3, 2014 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>


==Ship's registry== ==Ship's registry==
* ex MS ''Beydağı''<ref name="tg"/>
* ex MS ''Beydağı''<ref name="tg">{{cite web |url=http://www.turkgemileri.com/ships/mavimarmara.htm |publisher=Tür Gemileri |title=Mavi Marmara |language=Turkish |accessdate=2010-05-31 }}</ref>


==Sister ships== ==Sister ships==
* MS ''TDI Karadeniz'',<ref name="tg"/> since renamed MS ''Dream''.{{Citation needed|date=June 2010}} * ''TDI Karadeniz'',<ref name="tg"/> since renamed ''Dream''.<ref name="miramar">{{csr|register=MSI|id=9005871|shipname=TDI Karadeniz|accessdate=3 March 2021}}</ref>


==References== ==References==

{{Reflist|2}}
{{Reflist|2|refs=
<ref name="eo-13224">{{cite press release |date=November 12, 2008 |title=Treasury Designates the Union of Good |publisher=U.S. Department of the Treasury |url=http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1267.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130212752/http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1267.htm |archive-date=November 30, 2010}}
<br/>• {{cite web |title=Executive order 13224 |date=August 28, 2008<!-- see page 115--> |publisher=U.S. Department of the Treasury, ] |url=http://www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/programs/terror/terror.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130212752/http://www.ustreas.gov/press/releases/hp1267.htm |archive-date=November 30, 2010}}
<br/>• {{cite news |title=US concerned over IHH-Hamas ties |work=The Jerusalem Post |url=http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=177328 |author=Hilary Krieger |date=March 6, 2010 |access-date=January 30, 2012 }}
<br/>• {{cite web |title=Portrait of IHH |url=http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/hamas_e105.htm |publisher=Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center |date=May 26, 2010 |access-date=January 30, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530032406/http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/hamas_e105.htm |archive-date=May 30, 2010 }}
<br/>• {{cite news |title=The Terror Finance Flotilla |url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/terror-finance-flotilla |author=Jonathan Schanzer |work=The Weekly Standard |date=May 31, 2010 |access-date=January 13, 2012 }}
<br/>• {{cite news |title=Germany outlaws charity over alleged Hamas links |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/germany-outlaws-charity-over-alleged-hamas-links-1.301483 |work=Haaretz |author=DPA |date=July 12, 2010 |access-date=January 13, 2012 }}</ref>

<ref name="live rounds">{{harvnb|HRC report|2010|p=26}}
<br/>• {{cite AV media |title=Interview with Jamal Elshayyal |date=June 3, 2010 |work=] |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/video/middleeast/2010/06/201063123021327499.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190325153704/https://www.aljazeera.com/video/middleeast/2010/06/201063123021327499.html |archive-date=Mar 25, 2019}}
<br/>• {{cite news |last=Katz |first=Yaakov |title=Navy commandos:'They came for war' |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=177040 |work=The Jerusalem Post |access-date=March 20, 2011 }}
<br/>• {{cite news |title=Details emerge of bloodshed aboard Gaza-bound ship |date=June 2, 2010 |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i4FlVwMgaQcImeSQwTKnGrH2VZUAD9G3CKJO0 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5qHYg61LU?url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i4FlVwMgaQcImeSQwTKnGrH2VZUAD9G3CKJO0 |archive-date=June 6, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|M/S Mavi Marmara}} *{{Commons category-inline|Mavi Marmara (ship, 1994)}}
*, ''Newsweek'' (June 3, 2010)


{{DEFAULTSORT:Mavi Marmara}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Mavi Marmara}}
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Latest revision as of 05:41, 14 August 2024

Turkish passenger ship

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MV Mavi Marmara
MV Mavi Marmara leaving Antalya for Gaza on May 22, 2010.
History
Comoros
NameMV Mavi Marmara
OwnerIHH (İnsani Yardım Vakfı)
OperatorIHH (İnsani Yardım Vakfı)
BuilderTürkiye Gemi Sanayii A.Ş.
Yard number302
CompletedNovember 9, 1994
HomeportMoroni, Comoros (2010). Previously Istanbul, Turkey
IdentificationIMO number: 9005869
General characteristics
TypePassenger ship
Tonnage4,142 GT
Length93 m (305 ft)
Beam20 m (66 ft)
Draft4 m (13 ft)
Installed power4,400 kW
Propulsion2
Speedmax. 9.9 knots (18.3 km/h; 11.4 mph)- avg. 7.2 knots (13.3 km/h; 8.3 mph)
Capacity1,080 passengers
Blockade of the
Gaza Strip
Crossings
2004 - 2009
2010
2011 - present
Groups involved

MV Mavi Marmara is a Comoros-flagged passenger ship, which was formerly owned and operated by İDO Istanbul Fast Ferries Co. Inc. on the line Sarayburnu, Istanbul-Marmara Island-Avşa Island in the Sea of Marmara. Built at the Golden Gate Shipyard by Turkish Shipbuilding Co. in 1994, the ship has a capacity of 1,080 passengers. It is best known for its participation in the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and the deadly confrontation that took place on it during the Gaza flotilla raid.

History

Gaza Freedom Flotilla

Main article: Gaza flotilla raid

The MV Mavi Marmara was purchased in 2010 by the IHH, a Turkish NGO active as a charity organization in more than 115 countries. The group has represented its Turkish language name in English in various ways, "IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation" among them. It has held Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2004, and is endorsed by international figures that include South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire.

The German IHH is classified in Israel and Holland as a terrorist organization. Much of their money goes to the Union of Good, which is designated as a Specially Designated Terrorist Group by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control and banned by Executive Order 13224. In 2010, the US State Department expressed great concern over the group's links with senior Hamas officials. Israel's Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, an NGO with close ties to the Israeli Defense Forces, along with multiple Israeli governmental officials have alleged that the IHH supports terrorism, has smuggled arms on behalf of terrorist groups, and has links to al-Qaeda and other Jihadist groups. The IHH denies these claims, and Greta Berlin, a director of the Free Gaza Movement, called the claims "utterly scurrilous", characterizing them as an attempt by the Israeli government to discredit the movement.

However, IHH Turkey has denied any links to the group in Germany and, as of 2016, continues to work on projects in Gaza. Turkish legal authorities are investigating allegations that one of the key figures behind the May 2010 Gaza flotilla, Fehmi Bülent Yıldırım, was involved in transferring funds to al-Qaida, the Turkish daily Habertürk reported on June 15, 2012.

The IHH acquired the Mavi Marmara at a cost of $800,000, to be defrayed by public donations, as no shipowner was willing to risk their vessel on the journey. The ship took part in a flotilla of ships operated by activist groups from 37 different countries with the intention of directly confronting the Israeli blockade over Gaza. On May 30, 2010, while in international waters and en route to Gaza, Israeli Naval Forces communicated that a naval blockade over the Gaza area was in force and ordered the ships to follow them to Ashdod Port or to be boarded. The ships declined and were boarded in international waters. The boarding started at 2 am on May 31, 2010, and was completed by 8 am. Reports from journalists on the ship and from the UN report on the incident concluded that the Israeli military opened fire with live rounds before boarding the ship.

Violent incident

Passengers on the ship actively attempted to thwart a landing on the ship by Israeli commandos. In the violent clash that followed, nine activists were killed (according to the UN Report), and a tenth died four years later of his wounds. Several dozen activists were claimed to be injured, some seriously. Israel claimed 10 of its soldiers were injured, one seriously.

The U.N. report stated that knives from the ship's kitchens (plus one traditional, ceremonial knife), some catapults (slingshots) and metal pipes the passengers cut from the ship's railings were found. Turkey unveiled its final report on the Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound aid convoy on February 11, 2011. The Israeli government-appointed Turkel Commission unveiled its final report in January 2011, and found both the blockade and the force used by the Israeli soldiers to be legal. A Polish authority on admiralty law, Professor Andrzej Makowski of the Polish Naval Academy in Gdynia, also upheld this view in an extensive article in the Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs in May 2013.


Release and return home

Mavi Marmara making a tour of Istanbul harbour on the occasion of her return to Istanbul

The Israeli government decided on July 23, 2010, to release the three ships of the Gaza Freedom flotilla, two of which had been moored at the Port of Haifa and the third at the Port of Ashdod since their interception. Three Turkish tugboats were dispatched to bring the ships back to Turkey. The Mavi Marmara was towed by the Ocean Ergun in a two-day ride to the Port of Iskenderun, arriving an August 7, 2010.

Nobody was permitted to board the Mavi Marmara due to investigations underway by the public prosecutor, but broken windows and bullet holes on the glass of the pilothouse were visible in pictures released. The IHH emblem on the ship's port side was painted over in white. According to Turkish news, forensic teams identified some 250 bullet holes in the ship, many of which they claim were painted or plastered over by Israel. The ship returned to Istanbul harbour on December 26, 2010, in a welcoming ceremony attended by thousands.

Freedom Flotilla II

Main article: Freedom Flotilla II

A coalition of 22 NGOs announced on May 9, 2011, that a "Freedom Flotilla II" was planned for the third week of June 2011. The Financial Times reported on June 17, 2011, that the Mavi Marmara would not be sailing, as previously announced. The IHH said that after damage caused last year to the ship, that it was not in a position to put to sea. The group stressed that it would still be part of the new flotilla; members of the group will board other ships in the effort.

Ship's registry

  • ex MS Beydağı

Sister ships

  • TDI Karadeniz, since renamed Dream.

References

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  4. ^ "MS Mavi Marmara". Digital Seas. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
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  7. "İsrail 'uluslararası suları' kabul etti". June 1, 2010.
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  17. Lee, Iara (July 16, 2010). "Slandering the Good Guys: Some Basic Facts About IHH". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on July 28, 2019.
  18. Fleishman, Jeffrey (June 6, 2010). "Turkish charity defends actions". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 28, 2019.
  19. "Turkey investigating IHH head for funding al-Qaida". The Jerusalem Post. June 15, 2010.
  20. Gabbatt, Adam (May 31, 2010). "Israel attacks Gaza flotilla - live coverage". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 14, 2013.
  21. HRC report 2010, p. 26
    • Interview with Jamal Elshayyal. Al Jazeera. June 3, 2010. Archived from the original on March 25, 2019.
    • Katz, Yaakov. "Navy commandos:'They came for war'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
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  22. "Fifteenth session, agenda item 1" (PDF). United Nations Human Rights Council. September 27, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  23. "Mavi Marmara death toll rises to 10". Al Jazeera. May 25, 2014. Archived from the original on May 21, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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  27. "Mavi Marmara gemisi Türkiye doğru yola çıkıyor". Hürriyet (in Turkish). August 4, 2010.
  28. "'Mavi Marmara' İskenderun'da". Hürriyet (in Turkish). August 7, 2010.
  29. Aktuğ, Ufuk (August 10, 2010). "Mavi Marmara'da 250 mermi izi çıktı" [250 bullet scars found on the Mavi Marmara]. Radikal (in Turkish). Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  30. "Thousands greets Mavi Marmara aid ship". Today's Zaman. December 26, 2010. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010.
  31. Güsten, Susanne (May 11, 2011). "A Year After Israeli Raid, 2nd Flotilla to Set Sail for Gaza". The New York Times.
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  33. "TDI Karadeniz (9005871)". Miramar Ship Index. Retrieved March 3, 2021.

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