Mavi Marmara lawyers reject dismissal with Israel
Fırat Alkaç ISTANBUL
Lawyers overseeing the Mavi Marmara case have criticized the recent reconciliation process between Turkey and Israel. While commenting on a possible dismissal of the cases of the Israeli soldiers who were involved in the deadly raid in return for compensation and an apology to the relatives of victims, lawyers said: “This cannot be an issue of bargaining. Those who have killed people will be held accountable. To interfere with these cases would affect the freedom of judiciary.”
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu earlier this month said compensation talks between the two countries had reached “a certain level” and “problems have been substantially overcome.”
Lawyer Uğur Yıldırım said the case could not be finalized unless the court handed down the final sentence, dismissing claims that a possible agreement between the two sides would block further lawsuits. “We don’t accept their apologies,” Yıldırım said, speaking on the behalf of the victims’ families.
