Terrorists on the Mavi Marmara
Terrorists on the Mavi MarmaraIsrael news photo: Flash 90

A major rally was held in Istanbul, Turkey on Thursday, marking the second anniversary of the sailing of the 2010 flotilla to Gaza.

The Turkey-based IHH terror group, which was behind the flotilla, marked the day by holding a press conference aboard the Mavi Marmara, with relatives of the nine Turkish nationals who were killed on the ship.

The nine were killed when Israeli soldiers who boarded the Gaza-bound ship were forced to open fire, after being attacked by the IHH terrorists on board with clubs and knives.

The Marmara had been violating the naval blockade on Gaza and claimed to be carrying humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza, a fact which was later proven to be wrong.

The incident severely strained the relations between Israel and Turkey. Turkey demanded that Israel apologize for the deaths of the nine, but Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu refused to apologize. Turkey responded by downgrading its diplomatic ties with Israel.

Turkey further strained the relations with Israel this week, when a Turkish court formally indicted former IDF Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi and several other former top IDF officers for the killing of the nine.