Istanbul’s 11th High Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and thirty-four other defendants arising from Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, the aid convoy that attempted to reach Gaza. The charges are genocide, crimes against humanity, torture, unlawful deprivation of liberty, hijacking a transport vehicle, and property damage.
On Aug. 21 Turkey’s Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced that Ankara has formally asked Interpol to issue Red Notices on the strength of those warrants.
A Red Notice is a request circulated to police forces in Interpol’s member states asking them to locate a wanted person and provisionally detain him pending extradition proceedings. Whether to circulate one is Interpol’s decision, not Turkey’s.
Active legal proceedings by Istanbul’s 11th High Criminal Court into Israel’s attack on the Global Sumud Flotilla, bearing humanitarian aid to Gaza resulted in charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, torture, deprivation of liberty, hijacking a transport vehicle, and property damage. Gurlek explained that Netanyahu was targeted for his alleged role in this. He posted on X: “We categorically reject the notion that the Netanyahu government, which is pursuing a policy of genocide in Gaza, is untouchable and cannot be held accountable... We will not allow the crimes committed in Gaza to be covered up or those responsible to be protected by a shield of impunity. We will resolutely use all means available under national and international law.”
Israel’s Office of the Prime Minister, according to the Times of Israel, lashed out, stating that Erdogan is “an antisemitic dictator who has massacred Kurds, harbors Hamas terrorists, occupies half of Cyprus, and jails record numbers of journalists and politicians who oppose him... Erdogan’s pathetic attempt to intimidate the leaders and soldiers of Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, will go nowhere.” In a separate Hebrew-language statement, the Office asserted that “Israel will continue to act forcefully against Turkey’s attempts to destabilize the region and against any threat to its security.”
Netanyahu is already the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. On Aug. 18 the United States sanctioned that Court’s president, Tomoko Akane, over the warrants against him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.