Türkiye Seeks Interpol Red Notice for Netanyahu
Türkiye has launched a process to seek an Interpol Red Notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following an arrest warrant issued by an Istanbul court in connection with the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid toward Gaza.
Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the court had issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli security official Afek Moskovitch on July 14. The case involves 35 defendants and concerns the alleged interception and detention of activists in international waters.
The charges cited by Turkish authorities include genocide, crimes against humanity, aggravated deprivation of liberty, intentional injury, torture, property damage, aggravated robbery and hijacking of transportation vehicles. These are allegations in an ongoing Turkish judicial proceeding and have not been established as facts by a final court judgment.
An Interpol Red Notice is a request to law-enforcement authorities in member countries to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted person pending extradition or other legal proceedings. It is not itself an international arrest warrant, and each country determines what legal action it can take under its own laws.
The move marks another major escalation in the legal and diplomatic confrontation between Ankara and Jerusalem. Netanyahu’s office rejected the Turkish action, describing it as an attempt by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to intimidate Israeli leaders and personnel.
The case adds a new international legal dimension to the wider dispute surrounding Israel’s military operations and the humanitarian situation in Gaza, while Türkiye says it will continue using available legal mechanisms to pursue those it considers responsible.