World Bulletin / News Desk

A Turkish human rights group or MAZLUMDER filed a criminal complaint on Israeli officials over the bloody attack to Freedom Flotilla on international waters.

The organization also called on Turkish citizens to join the criminal complaints.

MAZLUMDER filed the complaint in Sultanahmet Courthouse with the victims' families against Israeli officials.

Before filing the official complaint, Vice President of MAZLUMDER's Istanbul Branch lawyer Elif Uzunpinar made a statement.

"According to Turkish Penal Code 8, 9 and 13, this crime against Turkish ship Blue Marmara is a crime on Turkish soil, and these people (who are responsible of the attack), must be tried in Turkey, even they are to be judged in a foreign country", she said.

"All international legal regulations, as UN Maritime Convention, Human Rights laws, the Geneva Convention and 8th, 9th, and 13th articles of the TPC, authorized Turkish courts for the trials for those who organized the attack without any doubt, the proceedings should be made in Turkey", Uzunpinar said.

The lawyer Uzunpinar added, "today, here, we are filing a criminal complaint against the Israeli authorities with the victims' families for intentional homicide, attempted murder, willful injury, retention of freedom, prevention of the right to travel in international waters, property damage, looting, prevention of communication, torture, and abduction or detention of sea, rail or air transports."

Israel's bloody raid on six aid ships that carried 700 activists who were trying to break the Israel's navel blockade of Gaza has dramatically escalated tensions with Turkey. The attack killed nine people, including at least four Turks on a Turkish aid ship. Turkey withdrew its ambassador, scrapped war games with Israel and demanded a U.N. Security Council meeting on the attack as a result.