A Turkish court has opened the trial in absentia of four former Israeli military commanders charged with killing nine people aboard a Turkish aid ship.
The Turkish-flagged ship, "Mavi Marmara," tried to break an Israeli blockade to reach Gaza in 2010.
Israeli commandos boarded the ship leaving nine Turkish activists dead.
Prosecutors at the Istanbul court are seeking life sentences for the Israelis over the deadly incident.
Israel has rebuffed demands from Turkey, a former ally, to apologize for the attack on the ship.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor on November 6 criticized Turkey for carrying out what he called a "show trial."
Turkey wants Israel to pay compensation as a precondition for normalizing relations.
The Turkish-flagged ship, "Mavi Marmara," tried to break an Israeli blockade to reach Gaza in 2010.
Israeli commandos boarded the ship leaving nine Turkish activists dead.
Prosecutors at the Istanbul court are seeking life sentences for the Israelis over the deadly incident.
Israel has rebuffed demands from Turkey, a former ally, to apologize for the attack on the ship.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor on November 6 criticized Turkey for carrying out what he called a "show trial."
Turkey wants Israel to pay compensation as a precondition for normalizing relations.
