Turkish aircraft Thursday brought home to a heroes' welcome several hundred Turkish activists who were on board the Gaza aid flotilla attacked in an Israeli commando raid earlier this week, according to dpa. Some 460 Turkish citizens who were on the flotilla returned. The planes also carried the bodies of nine people killed in the raid. Four of those have so far been positively identified as Turkish. The returnees were greeted by Turkish Deputy Premier Bulent Arinc and several other officials. "For now, diplomacy has succeeded, however, Israel will be asked within the framework of laws to pay for the murders it has committed," Arinc said. "We have all condemned this unfair, cruel and barbaric attack which was a total act of piracy," he added. The flotilla activists were celebrated at large rally held in Istanbul's central Taksim Square late Wednesday night. Several thousand people, many of them waving Palestinian and Turkish flags, came to the rally, organized by the Insan Yardim Vakfi (IHH), a Turkish Islamic relief organization that was the lead sponsor of the Gaza flotilla. "We are here for our brothers in Palestine," said Abdulkadir Sen, a 25-year-old English instructor who was a the rally. "No Muslim can be silent about cruelty to other Muslims." The Israeli action against the flotilla, which was challenging a naval blockade on Gaza, has led to worldwide condemnation and to a severe strain in the once-close ties between Turkey and Israel. Turkish officials have called for international action against Israel. In a speech in parliament yesterday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of committing a "massacre" and warned it not to "test Turkey's patience."
