Turkey's Justice Ministry has announced it will seek an Interpol red notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in connection with an alleged attack on humanitarian aid vessels heading to Gaza, as part of a broader domestic investigation into Israeli military actions.
Turkey announced on Friday that it would pursue an international arrest notice through Interpol for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, marking an escalation in Ankara's legal actions against Israeli leadership. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek stated that arrest warrants had been issued against Netanyahu and another individual on charges including genocide, crimes against humanity, and torture as part of an investigation into 35 people involved in an incident at sea.
The move stems from an event in May when Israeli forces opened fire on vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla attempting to deliver humanitarian assistance to Gaza in international waters. Turkey contends that Israel violated international law through this interception. Gurlek indicated that the justice ministry had requested the interior ministry formally submit an Interpol red notice to enable international pursuit of those accused. A red notice functions as a global request to law enforcement agencies to locate and provisionally arrest individuals pending extradition proceedings.
Israel rejected the initiative through Netanyahu's office, characterizing the action as a "pathetic attempt to intimidate" Israeli leadership and military personnel. The Israeli government denies Turkish accusations regarding violations of human rights and international law. NATO member Turkey has previously issued domestic arrest warrants for Netanyahu over the broader conflict in Gaza and has consistently advocated for international accountability measures against Israel.
Tensions between the two nations have intensified recently following Israeli airstrikes on a Syrian air base that Israel claimed could potentially host Turkish troops. Syria denied any such deployment plans. Turkish officials have attributed Israeli rhetoric partly to upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for October in Israel.
