Translation below of a piece in Taraf, a Turkish daily, about an interview that aired on Israeli television with a leader of the Turkish IHH charity that organized the flotilla. Thanks to Lonso for translation. The remarkably-philosophical Bulent Yildirim says more boats are ready to go, and his statements about paintball, knives, death wishes, and the open sea are halfway through what follows:
Bülent Yildirim, organizer of the boat "Mavi Marmara" that was attacked by Israeli commandos on its way to Gaza and President of the Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms (IHH) gave an interview to the Israeli Channel 10 Television.
During the interview that took place at the IHH headquarters and was aired day before yesterday in Israel, the atmosphere occasionally overheated between interviewer Oshrad Kotler and Bülent Yildirim.
At the opening of his program Kotler underlined that Yildirim did not admit to any provocation by the boat, and wanted to mediate for the release of Gilad Shalit, who has been prisoner in Gaza for four years.
To Kotler, who started by asking "You stated that you will organize another aid shipment to Gaza. When will that be?" Yildirim answered: "We receive many requests from all over the world. We don’t, however, want the current crisis to worsen. All we ask is the end of the blockade. We are giving the Israeli government a chance to end it. We’ll equip even larger ships if the blockade is not lifted, but not right now." Answering Kotler’s next question, "Are you going to sail again with the intention of becoming a martyr?" Yildirim said: "No one got on the boat to become a martyr. This is not a result that we were expecting". This is when a movie fragment with some boat passengers saying in English "I want to be a martyr" and repeating the basic Muslim incantation, then a speech by Yildirim urging the stopping of the commandos. Yildirim interrupted by saying "I know this speech". The question directed to him at this point was "You said that everything should be done to stop the soldiers. Don’t you feel a responsibility for the deaths?" The IHH president answered: "The Mossad, too, asked the same question; this is a trap" and continued: "All Muslims, considering that we all will die one day, would like to die on that day as martyrs. When our consul in Rhodes saved the Jews from Hitler his house was bombed, he missed becoming a martyr… Among those who saved the Jews from Spain and brought them [here] possibly many did become martyrs…" –
Yildirim was reminded that gas masks, bulletproof vests and commando kniives were found on the boat and asked: "You were ready to fight… What did you expect?" and said "Where did you find the right to attack us? The soldiers attacked us without any warning. Three submarines, forty Zodiacs, four gunships, ten helicopters… and they threw bombs… Then they fired pistols. They say now that they shot plastic bullets… So the first who died were killed with plastic bullets… We were then forced to self-defense". When the Canal 10 correspondent said: "You said not to let any soldiers get on board… this is calling the passengers to war" Yildirim countered "Why are you boarding that ship? Is the open sea your dad’s meadow?"
A tense exchange between Kotler and Yildirim followed that question. When Kotler said that "the soldiers used paint balls at the start" Yildirim interrupted him: "They are lying… Those weren’t paint balls… We have their pictures.. You are being lied to". Answering Kotler’s insistence he added "So it seems that your paint balls kill people… a measure of your murderousness".
The videos of knives and assorted objects said to have been found on board were commented by Yildirim as "these ones are from the kitchen… those are a plant…" Kotler’s question "Do you mean that we planted these knives so that you could become martyrs?" was answered with "Do you mean that you have the right to kill anyone with a death wish? These ideas of yours are damaging for the Israeli people."
The Channel 10 correspondent said that the invitation for the approximately 2 1/2-hour interview came from Yildirim through AKP [Justice and Development Party] members that the interviewer knew from earlier. He added that Yildirim offered him tea after the interview and said that both sides had made mistakes and they should stop fighting with each other.
Speaking with the Taraf newspaper, IHH president Yildirim said that he presented his four conditions to stop running more ships but that these conditions were not mentioned in the aired interview. The four conditions were that Israel must apologize, pay for the damage, lift the blockade and open its doors to human rights organizations.
Yildirim also said: "They asked me also about the captive soldier Gilad Shalit… We will set up an international committee to work on this. We will discuss both Shalit and the eleven thousand Palestinian prisoners. Israel did not make a request from us about Shalit. If it does, we will work to help Shalit".
Taraf (Turkish daily) 6/28/10, Istanbul
