Turkey plans second Gaza flotilla

PanARMENIAN.Net - More than 1,000 people representing some 100 countries will set sail in the last week of June on a second international flotilla toward Gaza, human-rights activists announced on May 30.

The announcement of the new flotilla came a day before the one-year anniversary of the date when Israeli commandos raided ships participating in a previous aid mission, killing nine Turkish activists onboard the vessel Mavi Marmara, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Some 15 ships will sail toward Gaza in the last week of June, carrying approximately 1,500 activists from about 100 countries. The first flotilla, which set sail in May 2010, contained about 700 activists from 38 countries on six ships. The Mavi Marmara will be among the 15 vessels carrying humanitarian aid, as well as medical, school and construction materials, along with other ships departing from the United States, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Ireland.

“We do not believe that Israel will make the same mistake [as last year, to attack the flotilla]... We will sail peacefully, everything will be open,” said Huseyin Oruc, a representative of the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, which is one of 22 national networks in the coalition organizing the international flotilla.