Inquiry board on Freedom Flotilla starts working

11.08.2010 International inquiry board on Freedom Flotilla incident officially started its work on Tuesday by the meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, reported the UN Press Service.

In the night of May 31 Israeli Navy intercepted the Freedom Flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea; the convoy carried humanitarian cargo and human right activists planning to break blockade of the Gaza Strip. As a result of the operation, nine Turkish passengers were killed, dozens were injured, hundreds were imprisoned and then deported. Seven Israeli commandos faced fierce resistance of pro-Palestinian activists and also suffered.

The inquiry board which was formed by Ban Ki-moon upon request of UN Security Council includes: chairman – Geoffrey Palmer, ex-premier of New Zealand; vice chairman – Alvaro Uribe, ex-president of Colombia; Israeli diplomat Joseph Ciechanover and Turkish diplomat Ozdem Sanberk.

Meeting with the board members, the UN Secretary General exhorted them to demand a full-scale cooperation of Israeli and Turkish authorities while conducting an inquiry. That call was made beside the scandal arisen between the UN and Israel because of talks on possible questioning of Israeli commandos by international board.

Previously, Tel-Aviv made clear that it would not let the international board talk to Israeli servicemen involved in the flotilla operation. However, Ban Ki-moon said at Monday's press conference that no agreements had been tied between the UN and Israel about Israeli commandos would not be questioned. Responding to those words of the UN Secretary General, Israeli government voiced its protest and intentions to stop co-operation with the board and to withdraw Israeli representative from it.

In his turn, Martin Nesirki, UN Secretary General's spokesman said at Tuesday's briefing that the board would itself determine all further steps.

With that, none of the board members has stated an intention to meet with Israeli servicemen so far.