This is certainly not a symbolic trial. If found guilty, these Israeli commanders can be arrested anywhere in the world through an Interpol Arrest Order,” Sonmez claimed.
The Turkish court has already issued summonses for the Israeli commanders for the trial this week and, according to the lawyers, the court could issue a warrant for their arrest after the first hearings, where 490 witnesses from 37 countries are slated to testify.
Activists are expecting that the trial will expand further in the coming weeks with legal proceedings against dozens of Israeli military and civilian personnel involved the raid. They are convinced that the trial will finally bring justice and also drive the Israeli government into a corner on its Gaza policies.
Despite the big expectations, however, observers view the legal validity of the trial and the practical imposition of the penalty highly questionable. But, media has speculated that Israel has told more than 150 Israeli officials and soldiers related to the Mavi Marmara incident not to travel abroad, where they could face the risk of being arrested and extradited to Turkey