Turkey has issued an international arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of a criminal investigation into Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a Gaza-bound aid mission, Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gürlek announced.
The warrant was issued by an Istanbul court on July 14, but Turkey has now formally moved to take the case international by requesting that Interpol issue a Red Notice for Netanyahu and another Israeli suspect, Afek Moskovitch.
The case involves the interception of the flotilla in international waters in May. Turkish authorities are prosecuting 35 defendants in absentia over allegations including genocide, crimes against humanity, torture, unlawful deprivation of liberty, intentional injury, property damage, aggravated robbery and hijacking of transportation vehicles.
Gürlek said the Turkish government would continue using available national and international legal mechanisms to pursue those it believes are responsible for crimes against humanity.
A Red Notice is an international request for law enforcement agencies to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted individual pending extradition proceedings. However, an Interpol Red Notice is not itself an international arrest warrant, and Interpol must review Turkey’s request before deciding whether to issue one.
Netanyahu’s office has rejected Turkey’s move, describing it as an attempt by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to intimidate Israeli leaders and saying it would not affect Israel’s actions.
The latest development adds to already strained relations between Turkey and Israel, with tensions also rising over their opposing positions on the Gaza conflict and recent developments in Syria.
Turkey has previously issued domestic arrest warrants against Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials over allegations related to Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The latest case is specifically connected to the Global Sumud Flotilla interception.
The legal proceedings could now attract wider international attention as Ankara seeks Interpol’s involvement in its effort to have Netanyahu and the other suspect located and potentially detained outside Turkey.
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