Thousands of Turkish nationals and international activists participated on Thursday in the funeral of Turkish peace activists who were murdered by the Israeli Navy during the attack against the Marara solidarity ship heading to Gaza to deliver humanitarian supplies. Turkish President Abdullah Gul stated during a press conference that relations with Israel will never return to what it was before the attack.
The coffins of the nonviolent activists were wrapped with Turkish and Palestinian flags. Prayers where conducted on them at the al-Fateh mosque in Istanbul before they were buried.
One of the protestors said that she came to participate in the funeral of those peace activists who were killed by the Israeli forces, and added that people are sad and angry, and that the world must act against this crime that led to the death of nine activists.
She also stated that the government in Turkey must do more than “angry words”.
One of the slain nine Turkish citizens who were killed in the Israeli attack also hold an American passport.
During a press conference, the Turkish President said that Turkey will never forget this attack against its ships and its citizens in International Waters.
“Israel committed one of its biggest mistakes in its history”, Gul said, “It will know how big is mistake is”.
It is worth mentioning that Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel, while the Turkish Prime Minister, Receb Tayyip Erdogan, accused Israel of practicing “state terrorism”.
Several activists who survived the Israeli attack were greeted in Turkey and spoke of the attack and the way the Israeli army treated them.
It is worth mentioning that shortly after the attack, hundreds of extremist Israelis took off to the streets carrying Israeli flags and chanting slogans “to salute the army” for attacking the ships.
