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Article 1. Today’s Zaman The UN's Mavi Marmara report and Turkish foreign policy Cenap Cakmak 07 September 2011 -- The long-awaited UN report on the Mavi Marmara incident has been finally published. The report, the release of which was postponed for a while at Israel's request, was published by The New York Times before an official statement was made by the relevant UN authorities. Israel is allegedly responsible for the leak of the report. Sources also say that shortly before the official deadline, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked Turkey to agree to the postponement of the announcement of the report to late September. But the report was leaked, likely because it became evident that the report supports Israel's standpoint on the incident. The report is significant for two reasons: First, the report now serves as a legal justification for Israel's Gaza policy, including the naval blockade as well as the raid Israeli forces carried out against the Mavi Marmara in May 2010. Secondly, Turkey viewed the report as a potential major asset, fortifying its case in the international arena as it pursues a cooling foreign policy towards Israel in connection with the Mavi Marmara incident. Apparently, however, it is no longer useful for Turkey to prove it has been doing the right thing. After the publication of the report, Turkey will have to expend greater effort to justify its stance and make its position acceptable to the world. What does the report say? Briefly, the report confirms and supports everything Israel has already said about the Mavi Marmara incident. To summarize its points: HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_024998