Report: Turkey ends war crimes probe of Israel over Gaza op

[oberliner]

Turkey has closed an investigation into war crimes allegedly committed by Israel during its military offensive in the Gaza Strip earlier this year, the Anatolia news agency reported Thursday.

The report, which was cited by the Web site of the influential Turkish daily newspaper Hurriyet, stated that the Justice Ministry had denied prosecutors permission to bring charges of genocide and crimes against humanity against several top Israeli officials, including President Shimon Peres and a number of ministers.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1082063.html

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[ConcernedCanuk]

2. 'Tis not the same as if they were charged and found innocent

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they never got to even file charges.

If I was accused of something I did not do, or did do under threat and coercion;

I would WANT to go to trial to prove my innocence.

This has not happened here.

wait

[Chulanowa]

3. There's nothing to wait for - I've just stated EXACTLY what is going on

Israel has historically maintained Turkey's position regarding the Armenian genocide waged by the Ottoman Empire - "Shit happens during a war". The reasons why this is the case are something I'd rather not speculate on, for fear of flames. But, fact is, Israel has always been on Turkey's side in disavowing that there was ever an organized genocide against the Armenians during World War 1.

When the Turkish government lambasted Israel for its actions in Gaza, calling it a genocide, Israeli officials threatened to officially recognize the Armenian genocide as retaliation for those comments.

The Turkish denial of that event is their main hurdle to EU membership, and official recognition from a nation that just happens to have a fair number of Armenian descendants of the genocide brings up the very reap possibility of trials, reparations, and other problems for the Turkish government.

And now Turkey is backing away from its own statements regarding Gaza.

End result? Turkey bypasses another hurdle for its political and financial gains, and Israel doesn't have any fig leaves lifted. Both sides are happy.

Except of course for the Gazans and Armenians.