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The details of those killed on the Mavi Marmara

Sep 27, 2010 11:01 pm | Adam Horowitz

The following appears on pages 30 and 31 of the UN report into the Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla:

Furkan Dogan, a nineteen-year old with dual Turkish and United States citizenship, was on the central area of the top deck filming with a small video camera when he was first hit with live fire. It appears that he was lying on the deck in a conscious, or semi-conscious, state for some time. In total Furkan received five bullet wounds, to the face, head, back thorax, left leg and foot. All of the entry wounds were on the back of his body, except for the face wound which entered to the right of his nose. According to forensic analysis, tattooing around the wound in his face indicates that the shot was delivered at point blank range. Furthermore, the trajectory of the wound, from bottom to top, together with a vital abrasion to the left shoulder that could be consistent with the bullet exit point, is compatible with the shot being received while he was lying on the ground on his back. The other wounds were not the result of firing in contact, near contact or close range, but it is not otherwise possible to determine the exact firing range. The wounds to the leg and foot were
most likely received in a standing position.

Ibrahim Bilgen, a 60 year old Turkish citizen, from Siirt in Turkey, was on the top deck and was one of the first passengers to be shot. He received a bullet wound to the chest, the trajectory of which was from above and not at close range. He had a further two bullet wounds to the right side of the back and right buttock, both back to front. These wounds would not have caused instant death, but he would have bled to death within a short time without medical attention. Forensic evidence shows that he was shot in the side of the head with a soft baton round at such close proximity and that an entire bean bag and its wadding penetrated the skull and lodged in the brain. He had a further bruise on the right flank consistent with another beanbag wound. The wounds are consistent with the deceased initially being shot from soldiers on board the helicopter above and receiving a further wound to the head while lying on the ground, already wounded.

Fahri Yaldiz, a 42 year old Turkish citizen from Adiyaman, received five bullet wounds, one to the chest, one to the left leg and three to the right leg. The chest wound was caused by a bullet that entered near the left nipple and hit the heart and lungs before exiting from the shoulder. This injury would have caused rapid death.

According to the pathology report, Ali Heyder Bengi, a 38 year old Turkish citizen from Diyarbakir, received six bullet wounds (one in the chest, one in the abdomen, one in the right arm, one in the right thigh and two in the left hand). One bullet lodged in the chest area. None of the wounds would have been instantly fatal, but damage to the liver caused bleeding which would have been fatal if not stemmed. There are several witness accounts which suggest that Israeli soldiers shot the deceased in the back and chest at close range while he was lying on the deck as a consequence of initial bullet wounds.

Cevdet Kiliçlar, a 38 year old Turkish citizen from Istanbul, was on the Mavi Marmara, in his capacity as a photographer employed by IHH. At the moment he was shot he was standing on the bridge deck on the port side of the ship near to the door leading to the main stairwell and was attempting to photograph Israeli soldiers on the top deck. According to the pathology reports, he received a single bullet to his forehead between the eyes. The bullet followed a horizontal trajectory which crossed the middle of the brain from front to back. He would have died instantly.

41 year old Cengiz Akyüz from Hatay and 46 year old Cengiz Songür from Izmir, both Turkish citizens, were injured on the bridge deck in close succession by live fire from above. They had been sheltering and were shot as they attempted to move inside the door leading to the stairwell. Cengiz Akyüz received a shot to the head and it is probable that he died instantly.

The pathology report shows four wounds: to the neck, face, chest and thigh. Cengiz Songür received a single bullet to the upper central thorax below the neck, shot from a high angle, which lodged in the right thoracic cavity injuring the heart and aorta. Unsuccessful efforts were made by doctors inside the ship to resuscitate him through heart massage.

Çetin Topçuoglu, a 54 year old Turkish citizen from Adana had been involved in helping to bring injured passengers inside the ship to be treated. He was also shot close to the door on the bridge deck. He did not die instantly and his wife, who was also on board the ship, was with him when he died. He was shot by three bullets. One bullet entered from the top the soft tissues of the right side of the back of the head, exited from the neck and then re-entered into the thorax. Another bullet entered the left buttock and lodged in the right pelvis. The third entered the right groin and exited from the lower back. There are indications that the victim may have been in a crouching or bending position when this wound was sustained.

The location and circumstances of the shooting and death of Necdet Yildirim, a 31 year old Turkish citizen from Istanbul, remain unclear. He was shot twice in the thorax, once from the front and once from the back. The trajectory of both bullets was from top to bottom. He also received bruises consistent with plastic bullet impact

Jewish Boat to Gaza boarded by Israeli forces and taken toward Ashdod port

For immediate release

28 September, 2010

Jewish Boat to Gaza boarded by Israeli forces and taken toward Ashdod port

The Irene, a boat carrying nine passengers and aid for Gaza’s population has been taken over by the Israeli navy and denied access to Gaza.

The boat is flying a British flag and its passengers include citizens of the US, the UK, Germany and Israel. Two journalists are also on board.

Last contact with the boat’s captain, Glyn Secker, was at 0937 GMT, when their path had been cut off by a Destroyer. Recent reports from other news sources indicated that the boat has been surrounded and boarded. At this point they were less than 20 miles from Gaza’s shore. Since then all phones went dead.

The occupied Gaza Strip’s territorial waters end 12 nautical miles from shore, but the Israeli blockade is enforced at 20 miles from shore.

Israeli attorney Smadar Ben Natan who is representing the passengers has asked to see her clients immediately.

Local group Physicians for Human Rights-Israel has asked for permission to send an independent doctor to visit the passengers immediately, after hearing from organizers that at least one passenger suffers from serious chronic health problems and is in need of medical care.

Speaking from London, a member of the organizing group, Richard Kuper of Jews for Justice for Palestinians, has condemned the Israeli army’s apparent action and said that this boat and its fate are a symbol of the chances for peace in the region. The way it is being treated by Israeli authorities indicates that they have no real intentions of reaching peace, he said. He called for worldwide support for the boat and its message of protest against the siege of Gaza and the occupation.

European Jews for a Just Peace, Jews for Justice for Palestinians (UK), Juedische Stimme fuer einen gerechten Frieden in Nahost (Germany), American Jews for a Just Peace (USA), Jewish Voice for Peace (USA), Jews Against the Occupation Sydney.

Visit www.jewishboattogaza.org and join us on Facebook and Twitter

Jewish boat to Gaza sets sail from Cyprus.

A boat carrying Jewish activists from Israel, Europe and the United States set sail Sunday from Cyprus bound for Gaza, in a bid to run Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory, an AFP reporter said.

The boat, named “Irene,” left the port of Famagusta in the Turkish-held north of the divided eastern Mediterranean island in the early afternoon carrying eight activists, three of whom are crew members, and two journalists.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/09/jewish-…

Adam Shapiro: Expose Israel’s policy to the world

The purpose of the Free Gaza Freedom Flotilla was to break the Israeli blockade that has been imposed on Gaza, a form of collective punishment of 1.5 million Palestinians who are trying to survive at this point. Adam Shapiro in New York is a board member of the Free Gaza movement, one of the groups that coordinated the Freedom Flotilla. His wife Huwaida Arraf is the chairperson of the Free Gaza movement and is on the flotilla.

US Boat to GAZA Fundraiser

Lets Set Sail to GAZA on “The Audacity of Hope”

Saturday August 28, 2010 7:00 – 9:30 PM

Speakers, Food, Music

The Potter’s House 1658 Columbia Road NW Washington, DC 20009

202-232-5483

Contact: Alice Azzouzi – 703-862-3622

Dear Friends,

This is an important moment in history. In the aftermath of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla massacre and increased world-wide scrutiny of Israel’s blockade of Gaza, the Israeli government has mounted a huge public relations campaign spreading the lie that by letting a few more items into Gaza the blockade has been lifted.

This is not the reality. Gaza is still under siege, vital building materials and other supplies are banned, exports of goods from Gaza are denied and neither ships nor people can travel without permission from Israel, permission which Israel will not give. Gaza is essentially an open-air prison under a U.S.-backed Israeli blockade.

We are planning to launch a U.S. boat to Gaza, joining a flotilla of ships from Europe, Canada, India, South Africa and parts of the Middle East due to set sail in September/ October of this year. In order to succeed in this essential but costly human rights project, we need significant financial support. Citizens around the world have responded to the plight of the Palestinian people and are taking action to help break the blockade which is suffocating the lives of the people of Gaza and denying them their liberty.

The U.S. government is complicit through established policies that uncritically support Israel in its brutal attack on the Palestinian people and on those who attempt to intervene on their behalf. We in the United States must continue to step up and do our part. We must join with others from across the world to support an end to the collective punishment of 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza. We turn to you to help make the U.S. boat, The Audacity of Hope, a reality.

The cost is $ 370,000, of which we have raised $ 150,000 so far. We must raise at least $ 200,000 in the next month. These funds will be used to purchase a boat large enough for 40-60 people, secure a crew, and cover the licensing and registering of the boat. In addition, the funds will subsidize some other costs of sending a U.S. delegation. We can make this happen together. For example, with 370 people giving $1,000, or with 3,700 people giving $100, we will have raised our full amount. We have already received donations ranging from $10 to $10,000. So, give what you can and give generously.
From the deck of The Audacity of Hope, we will be in a powerful and unique position to challenge U.S. foreign policy and affirm the universal obligation to uphold human rights and international law. Let us act now because every moment counts and every dollar counts. Together we will contribute to the great effort to end the blockade of Gaza and the illegal occupation of Palestine.

To learn more and to donate on-line, go to: http://ustogaza.org

Please spread this appeal letter far and wide, so that others will contribute as well.

Thank you for your generosity.

On behalf of the U.S. BOAT TO GAZA,

Checks payable to: Way to Jerusalem PHC, write: U.S. BOAT TO GAZA in the memo.

Mail to: The Way to Jerusalem Mission Group

The Potter’s House 1658 Columbia Rd NW Washington, DC 20009

Alice Azzouzi – 703-862-3622

p.s. Response from the BBC to Rifat’s letter about Death in the Med

Dear BBC blog contributor,

Thank you for contributing to a BBC blog. Unfortunately we’ve had to remove your comment below.

Comments on the BBC blogs may be removed if they are considered likely to provoke, attack or offend others, use swear words, or disrupt the message boards. For more information, please visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/moderation.shtml#f

Please note that anyone who seriously or repeatedly breaks the House Rules may have action taken against their account.

Please do not reply to this email. For information on appeals visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/moderation.shtml

Regards,
BBC Central Communities team
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/

URL of content (now removed):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/blog172/F18496649?thread=7694726&post=99689879#p99689879

Death in the Med : follow up on the Panorama show

Says Rifat : I called the BBC today and registered an official complaint and had them open a case # for it. I was on the phone with them for quite some time and let them know many points and that I was on the ship when we were attacked as well. I then followed this up with a written complaint on the forms on their website, and also submitted it to the blog page. FYI, my follow-up written comments are below

“I was on the Mavi Marmara ship when we were brutally and illegally attacked by the Israeli military in international waters. The episode of Panorama: “Death on the Med” was nothing more than a disgusting piece of Israeli propaganda to put it very mildly. At 2:20 into the show, Jane Corbin states quite bluntly “We got hold of new Israeli military video of the operation”. Yes, that’s exactly it; ISRAELI MILITARY VIDEO. So the only question is, was Jane Corbin in particular and the BBC in general a willing puppet and mouthpiece of the Israeli military or were they just duped into it?? And which of these two possibilities is worse, I’m not even sure.

This Israeli military video and narrative dominated the entire episode. Panorama did not see it fit to refer to the illegality of this piratical attack, involving killing, injuring, hijacking, kidnapping and theft, in international waters. Nor did it challenge any Israeli spokespeople with the illegality of this or question them on it. Further, the program and its so-called reporter did not question the illegality of the Israeli siege on Gaza either, which has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians.

The program referred to “thousands of rockets” being fired from Gaza into Israel but of course fails to mention the bombardment of Gaza with banned white phosphorous and other weapons that killed over 1400 civilians.

The program and its producers which can undoubtedly only have an agenda, did not question the Israeli spokespeople on why they confiscated all of our footage and tapes if they have nothing to hide. On the contrary, Panorama went ahead and appallingly used doctored tapes given to them by the Israeli military, and presented these as fact.

Why didn’t Panorama mention any of the other ships in the flotilla, or mention that citizens from over 40 countries and various religions (including Jews, Christians and even atheists) and ethnicities participated in it and that many organizations collaborated with IHH on this flotilla? Instead, Panorama was despicably trying to play on people’s fears due to their ignorance of Islam and portray this flotilla as being driven by extreme “Islamists”. There were many British citizens aboard the ship as well, but for some strange reason, Panorama opted not to show a single one of them.

Why didn’t Panorama mention the autopsy reports or challenge the Israeli spokespersons on the fact that the dead victims were shot many times and at close range, thus negating the claim of ‘self-defense’ by the Israeli commandos? More importantly, why didn’t Corbin challenge the simple fact that when you attack and board a civilian ship in the dead of the night with fully armed commandos, helicopters, live rounds, warships and Zodiac boats, the self-defense argument is automatically negated because YOU ARE BEING THE AGGRESSOR.

Why wasn’t the footage shown of the Israeli assaults on the activists? We were able to continue broadcasting for a short period of time even as the Israeli military tried to execute a blackout on their crimes after they started attacking, and some of us were able to smuggle footage out that was uploaded on the internet. This footage shows the Israeli commandos killing the activists, but this was probably incompatible with the agenda that BBC has in mind. Why wasn’t this footage shown and why weren’t the Israelis questioned on this, in the same manner Corbin was showing the Israeli footage to Bulent Yildrim and questioning him on it?? Or do the Israelis get a free pass?

The true evil, Nazi-like, fascist, racist nature of the Israelis came through loud and clear when approximately 26-27 minutes into the show, the Israeli spokesperson incredibly stated “I don’t think the force was excessive”. Within an hour, they had committed a massacre killing 9 people and wounding dozens. How many more before the Israelis think the force is excessive?! And in the same clip, we see there is no response by Panorama’s reporter to this outrageous statement, and no pressing further as to why the deaths of 9 innocent civilians is so cheap to him. Merely meek, repugnant, submissive complacency by Panorama.

As someone who’s been involved with the media for many years now and who helped established a media watchdog group in the USA that was quite influential, I can honestly say that this is one of the shoddiest pieces of “journalism” I have ever seen.”

Ken O’Keefe on HARDTalk 2010

If you do not see the clip belowclick there

Number two

Number three

Register your complaints re the BBC program last night

The BBC program, Death on the Med on Panorama, is mostly disgusting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXrzF0IOQYE

You can see both sections now on YouTube.

There are a couple of places where they do tell the truth. However, please call and email them and ask them some of these questions.

1. Why was there no investigation of the covered time codes on all of the Israeli video?

2. Why would they repeat the audio tapes that have already been discredited with little or no comment?

3. What right does the BBC have to use video tapes that were stolen from us, then edited, then given to the BBC? Do we have the right to sue the BBC for theft?

4. Why no mention of the other five ships, all of whom were attacked and many passengers who were wounded?

There are other questions for sure, but the BBC (Bumbling Broadcast Corporation) needs to hear from us, especially those who were on the flotilla.

Here are the BBC complaints contacts:

Make a complaint

Phone: +44 3700 100 222*

Textphone: +44 3700 100 212*

Email: https://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/

Write: BBC Complaints

PO Box 1922

Darlington
DL3 0UR


Greta Berlin, Co-Founder
+33 607 374 512
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