'Turkish forensic teams search Marmara'

Report: Experts look for clues on board aid ship in case against IDF.

Mavi Marmara 311 (photo credit: Associated Press)
Mavi Marmara 311
(photo credit: Associated Press)
Turkish forensic experts were working around the clock on board the Turkish aid ship, the Mavi Marmara, looking for evidence which could be crucial in the case against Israel, according to an Al-Jazeera report Monday.
Forty eight hours after the ship arrived in Turkey experts were studying blood stained clothes worn by the passengers along with up to fifty life jackets with bullet wounds with hopes of being able to decipher from which direction the bullets were fired.
RELATED:
Turkish flotilla vessels sail home
Goliath and his paintball gun
'Turkey bears no responsibility'
The Al-Jazeera report claimed that the floor of the ship was covered with blood and passengers were held in handcuffs for up to three hours.
The Mavi Marmara was returned back to Turkey over two months after it took part in a flotilla aimed at breaking the blockade of the Gaza Strip.
According to a statement issued by the Defense Ministry, the decision to release the Marmara and the other vessels to three Turkish towing ships that came to pick them up was based on a decision by the political echelon made last month.
The statement said that the Foreign Ministry sent a message to the Turkish authorities expressing Jerusalem’s expectation that Ankara would prevent other Turkish vessels from violating the blockade on the Gaza Strip. The message also underlined that Israel transfers equipment and goods to Gaza on an ongoing basis via the land crossings, in a manner “acceptable to the international community and which is anchored in recognized agreements.”
A senior government official said the decision to release the ships was significant for the Turks, who view it as an important gesture.
Herb Keinon contributed to this report.