Three months ago, in the early morning of May 31st, 2010, the six vessels of the Gaza Aid Flotilla were boarded and seized by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) commandos more than 70 miles from Israel in international waters.
During the boarding and seizure nine people were killed on the Mavi Marmara and more than 50 of the people who were on the six vessels which were participating in the Gaza Aid Flotilla were wounded. According to Israeli officials nine IDF commandos were wounded.
The following information about people who were killed or wounded on the Mavi Marmara and where, when and how they were killed or wounded is from various reports in the Turkish media and from broadcast interviews of eyewitnesses who were on the Mavi Marmara.
I repeat - this is a summary of information which has been published and/or broadcast in Turkish in Turkey. This information is not from official statements.
Turkish prosecutors and other government officials have taken official statements from the people who were on the Mavi Marmara and will release them when appropriate.
These nine people were killed on the Mavi Marmara when it was boarded and seized by IDF commandos.
Ibrahim Bilgen (March 2, 1949 - May 31, 2010) – a 61-year-old Turkish citizen:
- Shot four times; on the right side of the head above his right ear, in the right chest, in the right hip, and in the middle of the back. A 3 cm (1.2 inch) ‘bean bag’ which contained a cone-shaped object and lead shotgun pellets was found in his brain during his autopsy.
- Shot outside, on the middle deck near the rear of the ship but no mention was made as to which side.
- Shot while or soon after IDF commandos using zodiacs made their first attempt to board the Mavi Marmara.
Cevdet Kiliclar (May 5, 1972 - May 31, 2010) - a 38-year-old Turkish citizen:
- Shot once in the middle of the forehead.
- Shot outside, on the right side of the bridge deck near the rear of the ship (near the life boats).
- Shot a few minutes after IDF commandos fast-roped from the second helicopter onto the open upper deck.
Cengiz Songur (June 4, 1963 - May 31, 2010) - a 46-year-old Turkish citizen:
- Shot once in the upper middle chest.
- Shot outside, on the left side of the middle deck near the rear of the ship.
- Shot at about the time IDF commandos started moving, or were moving, towards the bridge outside on the left side of the bridge deck.
Cengiz Akyuz (May 10, 1969 - May 31, 2010) – a 41-year-old Turkish citizen:
- Shot four times; once in the left thigh and three times in the neck and head.
- First shot in the thigh on the open upper deck at some time during the time IDF commandos approached and fast-roped from the first and second helicopters onto the open upper deck.
Then shot three more times in the neck and head as he, along with Cetin Topcuoglu and another passenger, were trying to go downstairs in the forward stairwell to the medical treatment area on the main deck level.
Cetin Topcuoglu (May 1, 1956 - May 31, 2010) – a 54-year-old Turkish citizen:
- Shot three times; once in the left hip, once in the right hip and once in the head. This bullet hit him in the top rear right side of his head, traveled downward along the inside of his skull and exited at the top of his neck. The bullet then entered his right shoulder, traveled down through his right lung and lodged in his right kidney.
- First shot in the hips on the open upper deck at some time during the time IDF commandos approached and fast-roped from the first and second helicopters onto the open upper deck.
Then shot one more time in the head as he, along with Cengiz Akyuz and another passenger, were trying to go downstairs in the forward stairwell to the medical treatment area on the main deck level.
The forward stairwell is the only stairwell on the Mavi Marmara which connects the open upper deck with all of the other decks on the Mavi Marmara.
The third passenger was wounded while helping Cengiz Akyuz and Cetin Topcuoglu go downstairs but was able to help carry them to the medical treatment area which had been set up on the main deck level at the base of the forward stairwell. Cetin Topcuoglu lived for a short time after he was shot in the forward stairwell and died while being cared for by his wife in the medical treatment area on the main deck level.
Fahri Yaldiz (October 20, 1967 - May 31, 2010) – a 42-year-old Turkish citizen:
- Shot five times; once in the left thigh from the front, once in the right thigh from the front, twice in the right knee from the back, and once in the left chest.
- Shot on the open upper deck at some time during the time IDF commandos approached and fast-roped from the first and second helicopters onto the open upper deck.
Necdet Yildirim (August 15, 1978 - May 31, 2010) – a 31-year-old Turkish citizen:
- Shot two times; once in the right shoulder and once in the right chest. A 20 cm (8 inch) deep puncture wound in his right thigh was also found during his autopsy.
- Shot on the open upper deck at some time during the time IDF commandos approached and fast-roped from the first and second helicopters onto the open upper deck.
Ali Haydar Bengi (September 11, 1971 - May 31, 2010) – a 38-year-old Turkish citizen:
- Shot six times; once in the right thigh from the front, once in the right forearm, twice in the left hand, and twice in the lower left chest. The shots to his lower left chest damaged his intestines and liver.
- According to another passenger, who had also been wounded on the open upper deck, Ali Haydar was shot in the thigh, forearm and hand on the open upper deck at some time during the time IDF commandos approached and fast-roped from the first helicopter onto the open upper deck.
This passenger also said that after the IDF commandos had gained control of the open upper deck they shot Ali Haydar two more times in the chest while he was lying wounded on the open upper deck and that he lived for two hours after being shot again. He added that during these two hours none of the wounded passengers on the open upper deck received medical treatment and that he could hear Ali Haydar saying ‘breathe’ over and over until he died.
Furkan Dogan (October 20, 1991 - May 31, 2010) – an 18-year-old U.S. citizen:
- Shot five times; once in the left foot, once below the left knee, once in the back on the left side, once in the back of the head, and once in the face point blank on the right side of his nose.
- According to other passengers who were also on the open upper deck during this period of time, Furkan was shot in the foot and below the left knee on the open upper deck just before IDF commandos fast-roped from the first helicopter onto the open upper deck.
They also said that after the IDF commandos had gained control of the open upper deck two IDF commandos dragged Furkan away to a far corner of the open upper deck above the bridge, kicked him repeatedly and shot him three more times in the back, head and face.
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These are two of the many people who were wounded on the Mavi Marmara.
Ugur Suleyman Soylemez – a 47-year-old Turkish citizen:
- Suffered a major traumatic blow to the top of his head which broke his skull and is the most seriously wounded surviving passenger. He is still hospitalized and was once reported as being brain dead, but his medical condition is not currently being disclosed.
- Information about where and when he suffered this injury has also not been disclosed.
Muharrem Gunes – a 24-year-old Turkish citizen:
- Shot once; in the face point blank on the left side of his nose.
- Shot on the open upper deck at some time after IDF commandos fast-roped from the first helicopter onto the open upper deck.
This is a translation of his description of how he was shot.
Muharrem Gunes begins speaking at 01:38 in this video. The quality of this video is not very good but the link I have to the same video in higher quality doesn't work anymore.
(01:38) I was on the upper deck. Everyone had an assignment and I was assigned to protect the cameraman. There were assigned cameramen on the ship.
At the moment the Israeli soldiers descended in the helicopter the first targets they picked out were people who had cameras or were holding handheld radios.
They shot the cameraman. He was standing behind me. The cameraman was going to fall down with the camera. I caught him and laid him on the deck.
Anyone who raised his head they would shoot in the head. Especially, they told us to lay face down on the deck. While I had my head bowed down my left side was towards the soldiers. I was still holding the cameraman. He was writhing in pain on the deck.
They pointed the laser at my face. They understood I wasn’t wounded and they shot me here (pointing to the wound on the left side of his nose - 02:38). The bullet shattered my gums and teeth and came out here (pointing to the wound on the right side of his neck - 02:45). It came out here. Now my mouth is full of stitches. I’m missing seven teeth now. That’s how I was wounded. (02:58)
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There is a video which shows the situation in the main seating area of the main deck level of the Mavi Marmara after IDF commandos had taken control of the ship but before they entered the area.
The bodies of four of the people who died on the Mavi Marmara and many of the wounded can be seen in the video.
The video can be seen here but it is very disturbing. If it will upset you, please don’t watch it.
First the body of Cengiz Akyuz is shown, then Cevdet Kiliclar and Cengiz Songur, following this Ugur Suleyman Soylemez, who had been seriously wounded, is shown and then the body of Cetin Topcuoglu.
Following this many wounded people can be seen.
Finally one man addresses the camera. He explains that there are four dead and about 20 wounded, including three or four seriously wounded there, but there may be more dead and wounded because they have no contact with the other parts of the ship. He also says that even though they have informed the Israelis that there are seriously wounded people there, the Israelis don’t take them or agree to do anything to help them.
There is also a less disturbing version of this video here. However, the first 42 seconds of this video actually belong near the end of the video at 4:32. There are four bodies visible during the first 42 seconds because the body of Cetin Topcuoglu was moved next to the other three bodies after it is shown in the video at 1:05.
I have seen reports that the bodies of Fahri Yaldiz, Necdet Yildirim, Ali Haydar Bengi and Furkan Dogan, who were all reported to have been killed on the upper deck were not brought downstairs before they were transported to Israel.
I have no information about where Ibrahim Bilgen’s body was before it was transported to Israel. In one report an eyewitness said he had seen Ibrahim Bilgen, after he had been shot, being carried into the ship through a door on the middle deck level at the rear of the ship.
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In the Eiland Team of Experts Presentation, which was presented to the Turkel Commission during the testimony of Israeli Chief of General Staff - Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, the following information was given about IDF commandos who were wounded during the boarding and seizure of the Gaza Aid Flotilla.
A total of 38 injured are evacuated by air, seven of them from our forces. Two additional injured soldiers are evacuated through the sea. During the takeover nine S'13 commando soldiers were wounded, three seriously.
Transcript link
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated:
A total of seven soldiers were wounded - four soldiers were moderately wounded, of which two were initially in critical condition, as well as an additional three soldiers who were lightly wounded.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also given this information about wounded IDF commandos.
- one commando "
had taken a bullet in the stomach and pointed out the entry and exit wounds,"
- one command "
was hit on the head and neck" and "
lost consciousness for 45 minutes,"
- one commando was "
thrown to a lower deck" and "
received a severe skull fracture as a result,"
- one commando "
sustained a broken arm."
MFA link
The Eiland Team of Experts Presentation also states that:
- one commando was "
stabbed in his abdomen and hand."
Additionally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that:
- one commando "
was shot in the knee."
MFA link
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Pictures of the Mavi Marmara can be seen here.