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Wed, December 22, 2010 | The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center

The Asian Convoy Arrives in Syria via Turkey and Iran^[1]

The Asian convoy which left India on December 5 arrived in Turkey on December 17 and was welcomed by senior representatives from IHH, which apparently hosted the convoy during its stay in the country. The convoy visited several counties in eastern Turkey. Its presence was not widely covered in the Turkish media, with the exception of the IHH website, local papers in the locations it visited, and the Islamist Turkish press.

A welcoming ceremony for the convoy participants was held in the city of Diyarbakir, attended by IHH leader Bülent Yildirim. The crowd carried Palestinian flags and signs in support of Hamas, and there was a poster of the picture of one of the Turks killed aboard the Mavi Marmara which called him “a descendant of Salah al-Din.” Bülent Yildirim said that Israel would now have to contend with “all the Salah al-Dins” and that IHH stood alongside the oppressed everywhere: “Turkey, Kurdistan, the Caucasus and Bosnia” (Diyarbakirsoz.com website, December 19, 2010).

The convoy now has 115 participants from 22 countries. Bashar al-Din al-Sharqi, the representative of the Indian delegation to the convoy, claimed that seven members of the Iranian parliament had joined the convoy (Syrian Arab News Agency, December 18, 2010). However, it is not clear whether any Turks have joined it. In any event, on December 20 the convoy left Turkey and arrived in Damascus, and from there it is expected to go to the Syrian port of Latakia (Iran’s PressTV, December 20; Tishreen website, December 21, 2010).

Pictures from the Asian Convoy’s Stay in Turkey

Left: IHH head Bülent Yildirim speaks at the reception for the convoy. Right: the Turks welcome the convoy in Diyarbakir (IHH website, December 20, 2010).

A kaffiyeh with a picture of Al-Aqsa mosque and the Palestinian flag around the neck of one of the Asian convoy participants. "Jerusalem is ours" and "Oh, Jerusalem, we are coming" are printed on the kaffiyeh (IHH website, December 19, 2010).

Hate posters were waved during the ceremony in Diyarbakir to welcome the convoy. The signs read "Every place is Palestine, revolution is everywhere;" one relates to the battle at Khaybar, where the armies of Islam killed Jewish tribes who opposed Muhammad and forced the Jews under the yoke of Islam. The poster at the right shows Ahmed Yassin, founder of Hamas, and reads "Muslim, when will you awaken?" The one at the left reads "Israel, go to hell" (IHH website, December 20, 2010).

Other Convoys

European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza activity: The ECESG continues preparations to organize an upgraded flotilla to the Gaza Strip called Freedom Fleet 2. Rami Abdo, ECESG coordinator, said the large number of participants has caused them to examine the possibility of dividing the flotilla in half, and claimed that it would “surprise a lot of people.” He said that they expected boats from France, Switzerland, Britain, Germany, Italy, Holland, Norway, Sweden and Greece, and participants from Jordan, Algeria and Kuwait. He said that the Mavi Marmara would also participate in the flotilla (Al-Aqsa website, December 15, 2010).

Italian participation in the European flotilla: An organization called Italy’s Palestine Forum Group announced its intention to launch an aid flotilla to the Gaza Strip (Iran’s PressTV, December 19, 2010). In our assessment it may be part of Freedom Fleet 2.

Spanish flotilla: Three Spanish activists who were aboard the Mavi Marmara unveiled a memorial in memory of those killed aboard the boat and declared their intention to send two aid ships to the Gaza Strip. (Yenisafak, December 19, 2010)

Note:

[1] For further information about the Asian Convoy, see the December 16, 2010 article “The Ideology Behind the Asia to Gaza Solidarity Caravan”, and the December 19, 2010 bulletin “The Asian convoy’s activists reached Iran, where they were officially welcomed by Ahmadinejad and others” at http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/ipc_e153.pdf.