Turkish Journalist Aboard Mavi Marmara Confirms Israel's Version

From The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

In a TV interview, Turkish journalist Şefik Dinç, who was on the Mavi Marmara and wrote a book about it, said that no shots were fired from the Israeli helicopters and that IDF soldiers did not open fire until their lives were in danger. The interview clearly contradicts the IHH narrative.

Şefik Dinç: “When the soldiers came on helicopters and started landing on the ship, they did not fire. It wasn’t until the soldiers were met with resistance and realized that some of their friends’ lives were in danger that they began using live ammunition” (Channel 1, September 24, courtesy of Channel 1 and Oded Granot). Overview 1. On September 24, the Turkish journalist Şefik Dinç granted an interview to Israel’s Channel 1.Dinç witnessed the Mavi Marmara confrontation and described the incident in a book he wrote, titled Kanlı Mavi Marmara (The Bleeding Mavi Marmara). His account is fairly balanced, giving considerable weight to events that he personally witnessed and experienced.1 2. In the interview granted to Channel 1, Dinç reiterated a key point he brought up in his book. He said that he had seen with his own eyes that IDF soldiers who descended from the helicopters on the Mavi Marmara did not fire at the passengers. According to Dinç, it wasn’t until the soldiers realized that some of their friends’ lives were in danger that they began using live ammunition.2 3. Dinç’s descriptions as well as additional remarks given in the book he wrote and in the interview are consistent with the testimonies of the Israeli soldiers who boarded the Mavi Marmara. They completely contradict the narrative constructed by the IHH about the flotilla events, which relies on the biased testimonies of activists who were on board the Mavi Marmara. Those testimonies were the basis for the prejudiced, one-sided report compiled by the UN Human Rights Council and, we assume, will be key in Turkey’s report to the UN fact-finding mission.

Check out their post for a video of an interview with Şefik Dinç--and a transcript.

Technorati Tag: Gaza Flotilla and Şefik Dinç and Mavi Marmara.