Turkey seeks Interpol red notice for Netanyahu
File photo: REUTERS
Turkey announced on Friday that they will request an Interpol red notice to apprehend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in connection with a domestic criminal investigation into an assault on activists who attempted to transport humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The country acts as one of the most vocal opponents of the military campaign in Gaza and previously issued national warrants to arrest Netanyahu due to the ongoing conflict. Turkey continually demands global actions against Israel for committing what the country characterizes as breaches of both international law and human rights, though Israel firmly rejects these accusations.
During May, Israeli military forces shot at a minimum of two ships belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla during its fresh bid to transport relief supplies to the blockaded territory, following previous interceptions by Israel in international waters.
In a social media post on X, Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek confirmed that the judiciary issued arrest warrants targeting Netanyahu and an additional suspect on counts of genocide, torture, and crimes against humanity, forming a broader legal action against 35 individuals involved in the high-seas interception.
Gurlek said, “In line with the arrest warrants issued against Benjamin Netanyahu ... our justice ministry has requested that the interior ministry issue (Interpol) red notices for them so that they may be sought internationally,”.
He added that Turkey intends to mobilize every accessible judicial path to hold Israel fully responsible for its actions in Gaza. Global police organizations use a red notice as a formal plea to locate and temporarily detain individuals prior to extradition, although Interpol examines each petition from member nations before authorizing the notice.
When addressing the announcement from Gurlek, Netanyahu’s office remarked, “(Turkish President Tayyip) Erdogan’s pathetic attempt to intimidate the leaders and soldiers of Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, will go nowhere.”
Moreover, both nations exchanged hostile remarks this week regarding Syria, where Israel launched airstrikes on an aviation facility that it claimed might host Turkish soldiers, drawing a strong rebuke from Ankara and critical comments from the United States.
Meanwhile, Syrian officials clarified that they hold no plans to station Turkish forces at the contested air base.
Ankara’s growing leverage in Syria as a partner of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has triggered deep anxiety in Israel ever since Sharaa overthrew long-standing ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2024.
Turkish officials argue that Israel’s hostile talk and military activities in Syria stem directly from the upcoming Israeli parliamentary elections scheduled for October.
Source: Reuters (adapted)
