Initially, Cihat Gokdemir, Attorney, gave a short speech noting that they are following up with the law suit and investigations in Turkey on behalf of the flotilla victims and the families of martyrs. The legal action consists of three legs, first one is the legal action taken against the Israeli officials within Turkey by the families of martyrs and victims, the second leg is about the activities carried out to mobilize the international community and authorities to take action and the third leg is about the legal action to be taken in the countries of each flotilla activist.
Gulden Sonmez, Attorney, Vice President of MAZLUMDER, said “Following the attacks, first legal step was to carry out the forensic examinations and to obtain the testimonies from foreign passengers before they return to their own countries. Then, none-Turkish nationals have been following up with the legal procedures in their own countries. Each and every victim is in a position to take legal action against Israeli officials. Together with attorneys who are specialized in international law, we are working to take the case to the International Criminal Court. Efforts have been carried out not only in the countries of victims but also in a lot of other countries to start an investigation in the ICC. We are also working on to mobilize the UN to establish an investigation committee. Israel has been running a special campaign to blacken the evidence. We can see this clearly in the forensic examination reports of the deceased. This situation clearly indicates that there is an urgent need for establishing an independent international investigation committee. On the other hand, we are working to mobilize various international bodies to investigate and prosecute the attack on the flotilla, we are sending the information files of the incident to those bodies. Israel also continues to attack the NGOs that led this flotilla, IHH in particular, by various methods. This is why the work of lawyers is very important.”
Turkey-leg coordinator of the legal procedures is Selcuk Kar, Attorney-at-law. He said, during the press meeting, that a legal commission was formed by lawyers and started working as the passengers got on the airplanes on their way to Turkey. The lawyers attended the autopsies at the forensic medicine institute in Turkey. He noted that personal belongings of the passengers were looted and electronic goods were broken into pieces, some personal goods were seized. Selcuk Kar also stated that Istanbul Office of Public Prosecution has taken over the case from Bakirkoy Office of Prosecution. He finished his words by saying “Until now, around 70 testimonies have been obtained from passengers. We believe, once all the evidence is collected and testimonies are obtained from all witnesses, the investigation and court proceedings will begin.”
Another attorney, Yasin Divrak provided the press members with information regarding the forensic examination reports. Divrak mentioned that he was present during the autopsies and all nine bodies had been washed by Israeli authorities before being brought to Turkey and that clearly showed Israel’s intention to cover things up. The findings make it clear that the Israeli forces used semi-automatic and automatic firearms and shot to kill the activists and not to overpower them, disproving Israeli claim that their excessive use of fire weapons was an act of self defense. The reports also state that almost all of the deceased were shot from up above with a high angle and the bullets piercing through their heads, destroyed their internal organs and exited through either their torso or legs.
NOTES ON THE FORENSIC REPORTS
1- Forensic Institute Physical Examination Board stated that all nine bodies had been washed before being brought to Turkey and their clothes were either blood-soaked or otherwise unfit for analysis, making it impossible to reach a conclusion on the ranges of most shots.
2- Traces of ethanol and methanol (alcohol) was found on most of the bodies. These substances were probably used to prevent the bodies from decaying.
3- Since the bodies had been washed, no gunpowder residue was found on them.
4- Various ecchymosed, bruised, scratched, wounded parts have been discovered on the bodies.
5- Bullets that have been found in the bodies were shot from automated or semi-automatic firearms.
6– No gunpowder residue was found on the bodies, therefore the shooting distance could not be determined. Furkan Dogan was shot on his face from a very close distance and most of the martyrs were shot from behind. These are clear indications of Israeli brutality.
7- Cevdet Kiliclar was shot on his forehead between his eyebrows. The bullet pierced through his head and a star-shaped hole was formed in bullet’s exit point.
8- A tiny bag containing pellets was discovered inside Ibrahim Bilgen’s skull, still intact in his brain, which the report said was fired from a hunting rifle.
9- Again, on Necdet Yildirim’s upper leg there was a hole with a depth of 20 cms, apparently created after the attack.
10- One bullet entered Çetin Topçuoğlu’s skull and exited from the back of his neck, while another bullet that hit him in the right shoulder destroyed his lungs.
11- The bullet that killed Cengiz Songur went inside his neck rupturing his aorta and remained inside his back.
12- According to the report most of the martyrs were shot from above with a high angle.
FURKAN DOGAN
1- One bullet entered Furkan’s head at the right side of his nose. This bullet destroyed his brain and exited from 1.5 cms away from the back of his left ear.
2- There was one bullet exit wound on the left side of his forehead.
3- 1.5 away from the back of his left ear, there was a bullet exit wound.
4- Another bullet entered at 7 cms away from his right ear. Again this bullet exited after destroying his brain.
5- He had another bullet wound on the left side of his back. This bullet destroyed his lung and exited from the left side of his chest.
6- Another bullet pierced his 4th and 5th toes.
7- He was also hit by another bullet on his left leg below his knee. The bullet caused fractures in his leg and remained inside.
8- Forensic Medicine Department returned the documents without searching for any further evidence such as gunshot residue as the bodies had been washed before returning them to Turkey.
9- 5 bullets, in total, hit his body, the report states.
10- According to the report, the bullet entering his face was shot from a close range, however, the shooting range of the bullets in his torso could not be determined due to the fact that his clothes were soaked in blood and dirt.
11- The report states that the death occurred due to skull fracture and destruction of internal organs caused by bullet rounds shot from firearms.
CEVDET KILICLAR
1- He was hit by an atypical kind of bullet on his forehead between eyebrows.
2- A star-shaped bullet exit wound was found at the back of his head.
3- The bullet entered through his forehead and exited from the back of his skull after destroying his brain.
4- Traces of ethanol and methanol was found in his blood. The substances might be administered to avoid decaying after the death occurred.
5- According to the report, the death occurred due to brain tissue damage and skull fracture by live ammunitions.
IBRAHIM BILGEN
1- Bullet entry wound was found around the 6th rib bone on the left side of his chest. This round destroyed his right lung and exited from the right side of his waist near the 2nd rib bone right to his liver.
2- On the right side of his waist one bullet exit wound was found.
3- In the middle of his back another bullet entry wound was detected. This round exited from below his right underarm.
4- One bullet exit was found under his right arm.
5- Another bullet entered through his right hip. This bullet destroyed his large intestines and remained inside his body.
6- One more bullet entered his skull from above his right ear. This bullet was defined as the “bean bag round” in ballistic terminology and it remained inside his brain lobe.
7- A cone shaped 3-cm piece and a tiny cloth bag containing pellets were found inside his skull.
8- 3 bullet rounds and 1 bean bag entered his body.
9- According to the report, the death occurred due to skull fracture, rib fracture together with internal organ damage, cerebral hemorrhage and major vascular injuries caused by live ammunitions.
NECDET YILDIRIM
1- One bullet wound was found 8 cms above the right mammary tissue. The bullet left the body after destroying the right lung and the upper part of his left lung.
2- One bullet exit wound was detected on the lower front part of his neck above the clavicle.
3- Another bullet entry was found on his right shoulder. The bullet that entered from this point exited through his throat by causing rib fracture.
4- Above the right side of his chest, another bullet wound was found.
5- On his right thigh, a hole was discovered with a depth of 20 cms.
6- 2 firearm rounds hit his body.
7- According to the report, the death of the person occurred due to internal organ damage and sternum and rib fractures caused by live ammunitions.
FAHRI YILDIZ
1- A bullet entry wound was found below the left side of his chest. The bullet pierced his heart and exited from the back of his right shoulder causing a rib fracture and passing through his right lung.
2- A bullet exit wound was found at the back of his right shoulder.
3- Another bullet entered at the front mid part of his left thigh. This bullet left the leg through the back of his left thigh.
4- A bullet exit wound was found at the back of his left thigh.
5- A bullet wound was detected on the upper part of his right thigh. This bullet left the body from below the left hip.
6- A bullet exit wound was found below the left hip.
7- A bullet entered the leg at the inner part of the right knee. This bullet left his leg again from the right knee.
8- A bullet exit wound was found at the right knee.
9- Another bullet entered the right leg from below the back of his knee. The bullet exited from the same knee.
10- One bullet exit wound was detected at the inner part of his right knee.
11- A hole-like wound was found below his right underarm close to his abdomen.
12- In total 5 rounds hit the body and the one that pierced his heart was the cause of his death.
13- According to the report, he died because of internal organ damage and sternum and rib fractures caused by live ammunitions.
ALI HAYDAR BENGI
1- One bullet entered the body through the left side of his chest. This bullet left the body from the back of his right shoulder after destroying his liver and intestines.
2- Another bullet entered the body at the upper left part of his stomach. The bullet remained inside the stomach after destroying his intestines.
3- A bullet wound was found on the ou ter upper part of the right thigh. This bullet exited from the same thigh.
4- Another bullet wound was found on the outer mid-part of the right arm. This bullet left the arm after causing several fractures in the bone.
5- Upper part of the left hand was also hit by a bullet. It caused several fractures in the bones of the hand and exited.
6- Another bullet wound was detected on the upper part of the left hand. The bullet penetrated there and exited the hand through his palm.
7- Inside his left palm one bullet exit wound was found.
8- Inside his left hand, around 4th finger a bullet exit wound was found.
9- On the outer part of his right underarm, one bullet wound was detected.
10- One bullet exit wound was found at the back of his right shoulder.
11- Outer thigh of the right leg was hit by a bullet as well.
12- 6 bullet penetration wounds in total were detected on the body, one of those bullets remained inside the body. The bullet that went through the left side of his chest and the one that penetrated his stomach caused fatal injuries.
13- According to the forensic report, the death of this person was because of internal organ damage, arm and rib fractures caused by live fire.
CENGIZ AKYUZ
1- One of the bullets hit him at the back of his neck, close to the skull.
2- One bullet exit wound was detected 10 cms above the right ear.
3- Another bullet penetrated his head through 4cms below his right ear.
4- One bullet exit was found below his chin on the left side of his Adam’s apple.
5- Another bullet entered his upper part of his back through the spinal cord.
6- One more bullet penetrated his left leg at the lower frontal femur area (above the knee).
7- 4 bullets in total penetrated the body and the ones that hit below his right ear and his spinal cord from his back were fatal. 2 bullets were found in the body.
8- According to the report, the death occurred due to skull fracture, facial bones, backbone and femur fractures together with internal organ damage, cerebral hemorrhage and spinal cord injury caused by live fire.
CETIN TOPCUOGLU
1- One bullet hit the lower right part of his abdomen. This bullet left from his waist after shattering his pelvic bone.
2- A bullet exit wound was detected on the right side of his back around the waist.
3- Another bullet penetrated through the right side of his skull. This bullet shattered his skull and exited from the right side of his neck at the back, then re-entered his body through the back of his right shoulder and penetrated his right kidney and remained there after shattering rib bones and destroying right lung.
4- A bullet exited the back of his neck from the right side.
5- Another gunshot hit the back of his right shoulder.
6- One bullet penetrated his body above the left hip bone. The bullet remained inside his hip.
7- 3 bullets in total hit his body, the one that penetrated his skull on the right and the one that hit the back of his shoulder were fatal. 2 bullet rounds were found in the body.
8- According to the report, the death occurred because of skull fracture, rib fractures, hipbone fractures together with internal bleeding due to internal organ damage, brain tissue damage and cerebral hemorrhage caused by live ammunitions.
CENGIZ SONGUR
1- One bullet round hit the left side of his neck.
2- Purple colored ecchymosed tissue was observed on his back around the backbone, a bullet round was detected in this area.
3- Abraded ecchymosis was observed on several parts of the body.
4- The bullet that entered through his neck shattered his left-side rib bones and remained inside his back after piercing through the main aorta and the right atrium.
5- According to the report, the death occurred because of rib fracture and vertebral bone fracture together with internal bleeding due to internal organ damage and major vascular injuries caused by live ammunitions.
