Turkish activists back home from Israel
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A total of 466 Turkish activists from the Gaza-bound aid flotilla arrived in Istanbul from Tel Aviv early Thursday morning.
Three Turkish Airlines planes, which also carried the bodies of 9 people that were killed in the attack, landed at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport at short intervals.
The surviving activists and supporters as well as the deceased are currently undergoing examination at the Forensic Medicine Institute in Istanbul's Bahcelievler suburb.
Nineteen of the wounded were taken to Ankara in earlier flights, and two others remained in Tel Aviv for treatment.
Can Soner, captain of the ship named Gazze, claimed that he had drank funny-tasting water, leading to allegations that some of the passengers had been poisoned by Israel.
Meanwhile, Bulent Yildirim, president of the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation, which organized the six-ship flotilla to break the Gaza blockade and deliver 10,000 tons of relief supplies, returned from Israel and claimed that there were more deaths than the 9 person Israel handed over.
He added that doctors had handed over 38 wounded, but now only 21 returned.
Speaking to reporters at Istanbul's Ataturk airport, Yildirim called upon Israel to end the embargo, saying NGOs and relief foundations would return with larger fleets and larger vehicle convoys until the embargo was lifted and added "let the world leaders deal with the consequences."
Turkish State Minister and Deputy Premier Bulent Arinc and a number of officials welcomed the activists at the airport.
Arinc told reporters at the airport that "for now, diplomacy has succeeded, however, Israel will be asked within the framework of laws to pay for the murders it has committed."
He said that the Turkish Justice Ministry had also launched the necessary initiatives to follow the issue within the scope of criminal and international laws.
"We have all condemned this unfair, cruel and barbaric attack which was totally an act of piracy," he added.
The Turkish deputy premier also said necessary actions would be taken in line with such declaration.
On Monday, an Israeli raid on the convoy of ships with more than 600 people on board killed 9 people and injured nearly 30 others. Four of the dead were Turkish citizens.
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