Israeli raid ship returns to port

(EPA)

Thousands of pro-Palestinian activists gathered in Istanbul yesterday to welcome back a ship that was the scene of bloodshed during an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May.

The Mavi Marmara, returned to Istanbul after undergoing repairs at a Mediterranean port. The crowds waved Palestinian and Turkish flags and chanted "Allah is great!" at Istanbul's Sarayburu port.

Nine activists from Turkey were killed in the raid. Israel says it acted in self-defence.