The withdrawal of the Mavi Marmara ferry from the convoy
that aims to break Israel’s sea blockade of the Gaza Strip removes a potential
flashpoint for confrontation. Last year, nine activists died in a botched
Israeli commando operation on the Turkish ship during a similar flotilla, with
each side accusing the other of starting the violence.
Israel has warned that it will not allow any more ships to
break its naval blockade, and said without providing details that security
forces have adopted new tactics since last years’ raid in an effort to limit
casualties.
IHH, the Islamic aid group in Turkey that refitted the Mavi
Marmara after Israel returned it following the raid, said technical problems
prevented it from joining 10 other ships that will head for Gaza from European
ports on June 25. The original plan was to sail around the first anniversary of
the Israeli raid before dawn on May 31, 2010.
“We did not want the flotilla to be postponed again,” IHH
president Bulent Yildirim said. “When we fix the Mavi Marmara, our journey will
continue. I hope it will not take a long time.” Organizers said their decision
to exclude the Turkish boat was not a response to appeals from any government.
Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu condemned the Israeli blockade
and said the Mavi Marmara had the right to sail, but urged activists “to act
more carefully and not take steps that could be exploited” by Israel.
He also said non-governmental groups should “take into
account” that Egypt’s new military rulers had opened Gaza’s main gateway to the
world, the Rafah terminal, thereby ending a four-year blockade of Gaza that was
imposed in coordination with Israel.
Turkey demands that Israel apologize and pay compensation
for last year’s flotilla raid, but the possibility of a diplomatic
confrontation over a second flotilla could divert Turkey’s focus on problems
with neighboring Syria.
The Turkish government is sheltering nearly 10,000 Syrians
who have fled across the border to escape a crackdown on an uprising against
President Bashar Assad.
Yildirim said pro-Palestinian activists from his group would
board other ships in the Gaza-bound flotilla, which includes an American boat,
a 40-member Canadian ship and a cargo vessel organized by activists from
Greece, Sweden and Norway.
Some of the boats are expected to depart from Greece, and
Yildirim acknowledged that Greece’s financial problems and widespread anger
there over tough new austerity measures had posed a challenge to flotilla
preparations.
“There are some problems and crises in European countries,
so it might be delayed a few days,” he said.
Activists describe Israeli restrictions on Gaza’s 1.5
million residents as a human rights violation, but Israel says its blockade
stops weapons reaching Iran-backed Hamas militants. Israeli eased its land
blockade of Gaza after the international furor over the flotilla raid last year.
