Before the Mavi Marmara lawsuit which will be take place in the 7th Istanbul Criminal Court in Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan on the 6th November, people have began to bring material and moral actions for damages against Israel. The first actions were brought in Istanbul and Kayseri. Mavi Marmara activists will continue to bring actions in many cities in Turkey.
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Within their legal war against Israel, the Freedom Gaza Flotilla activists who were attacked in Mavi Marmara aid ship started to bring actions for damages.
The lawyers of IHH the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief and Mavi Marmara activists began to bring actions for damages in Istanbul after the actions they brought in Kayseri. Today (on 5th October, 2012) the lawyers who applied to the Istanbul Courthouse made a statement to the press before the courthouse.
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Lawyers stated that; at first step totally 40 people from Istanbul and Kayseri brought actions for damages as the first group; and the other people will also bring actions for damages within the process. The total compensation amount of the 40 people as the first group is determined as 10 million TL.
Uğur Yıldırım, one of the lawyers of Mavi Marmara case and activists, speaking in the press statement summarized the actual and legal process after Mavi Marmara attack; and stated that they claim for the damages for all organizer foundations and activists, claiming Israel to pay compensations for all natural and legal persons who were damaged in Mavi Marmara attack and ask for the criminals who carried out the attack to be charged in any case.
Lawyer Uğur Yıldırım also stated that; legal processes for the punishment of the criminals is going on national and international law in a multi directional level; the offences committed in the attack were reported by the United Nations Human Rights Council and the report was approved in the council; the criminal investigation that was launched in Turkey on the day of attack was completed as of the date of 28th May 2012 and a lawsuit was brought in the 7th Istanbul Criminal Court against some of the Israeli responsibles for now, and the first lawsuit of Mavi Marmara case would began on 6th November in Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan; and he gave some additional information about actions for damages.
The first phase and itinerary of actions for damages
Of the lawyers of IHH and Mavi Marmara, lawyer Uğur Yıldırım said that:
“The victims who were in Mavi Marmara and other ships brought actions for damages for the compensation of their material and moral damages on one hand. The flotilla attendees waiting for the criminal case to be opened by now will evaluate criminal case, actions for damages and all the legal trials as a whole. Never giving up their demand for the criminals to be charged, the organizers, attendees and the relatives of the martyries indicate that political negotiations of Israel except legal area don’t have a binding force and a meaning for them. Israel, who wants to close the matter by just apologizing and compensation, should make restitution by paying compensation for all natural and legal persons as a result of the decision by the legal authorities and the criminals should be charged in any case. The punishment for the crime determined by the UN is both the compensation and the punishment of the criminals. At the same time, the claim for compensation of the victims is the punishment rather than the material compensation. Moreover, As Israel is putting material wealth above everything and is not hesitating to kill people for it and speaking a language of monetary damage, these actions for damages will be a meaningful response for Israel because it is a language that it understands. Totally 40 people in Istanbul and Kayseri as the first group brought actions for damages on 5th October 2012, on Friday. Other people will also bring actions for damages within the process. The total amount demanded of the first 40 people is 10 million TL. Among the first cases are the cases of Martyr Furkan Doğan, Martyr Cevdet Kılıçlar, Martyr Necdet Yıldırım as well as the cases of seriously wounded people, media persons, doctors and nurses.
All people who organized and attended the Gaza Freedom Flotilla demand; to lift the maritime blockage going on in Gaza completely, all the criminals including the ones that will be added as a result of the lawsuit going on in Istanbul 7th Criminal Court to be punished, all material and moral damage of all parties to be compensated, all legal cases to go on fairly and fast.”
After the press statement, lawyers entered into the Court of First Instance and submitted their petitions there. The petition included the cruel treatment of Israeli soldiers to the indefensible aid volunteers in the attack they made to the Mavi Marmara ship on 31st May 2010 and the report of UN Human Rights Council.
The Action for Damages of 1 Turkish Lira (TL) Symbolically
On the other hand, in the lawsuits brought in various Courts of First Instances in Istanbul, nurse Sema İşlek, doctor Mevlüt Yurtseven, Ekrem Çelik, and his wife Nilüfer Çelik and his children who were in the ship asked for an action for damages of 1 TL against Israel.
Action for Damages of 1 Million TL from Two Families Each
The families of Cevdet Kılıçlar and Necdet Yıldırım who lost their lives in the ship attack claimed an action for damages of 1 million TL each. Other people claimed actions for damages of various amounts of money indicating that they experienced emotional and material damages in the attack made to the ship by the Israeli soldiers.
Israeli Attack to Mavi Marmara that is the Conscience of Humanity
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla starting out against the inhuman embargo placed on Gaza was attacked by Israel on the 31st May 2010 at 04.30 a.m. In this attack, 9 humanitarian aid volunteers were martyred, 56 aid volunteers were seriously injured and one of them, Uğur Süleyman Söylemez, has been still struggling to survive in coma. Israel took all aid volunteers into custody at that night handcuffing them and extorted all belongings of the passengers including the private ones. This unfair and cruel attack of Israel was regarded as a crime to be punished by UN, hundreds of states, many NGOs, and jurists, human rights organizations and scholars.
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