Turkey announced on Friday its intention to request an Interpol red notice for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This move is part of a domestic criminal investigation concerning an attack on activists attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
As a NATO member, Turkey has been a vocal critic of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and has previously issued domestic arrest warrants for Netanyahu related to the conflict. Ankara has consistently urged international action against Israel, accusing it of violating human rights and international law, allegations that Israel denies.
In May, Israeli forces fired upon at least two vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was attempting to deliver aid to Gaza following earlier missions that Israel intercepted in international waters. Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek stated on the social media platform X that arrest warrants have been issued for Netanyahu and another individual. The charges include genocide, crimes against humanity, and torture, as part of a case involving 35 suspects connected to the Israeli interception.
Gurlek explained that, following the issuance of these warrants, Turkey’s justice ministry has requested the interior ministry to issue Interpol red notices to facilitate the international search and provisional arrest of the suspects. He emphasized that Turkey will employ all available legal avenues to hold Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza.
A red notice is a global request to law enforcement agencies to locate and provisionally detain individuals pending extradition. Interpol evaluates such requests from member countries before deciding on their issuance.
Responding to the announcement, Netanyahu’s office dismissed the move as a “pathetic attempt” by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to intimidate Israeli leaders and soldiers, asserting that it would not succeed. Turkey and Israel have also exchanged sharp criticisms this week regarding Syria, where Israel conducted airstrikes on an airbase reportedly considered for Turkish troop deployment. Ankara condemned the strikes, while the United States criticized Israel. Syria denied plans to deploy Turkish forces to the base.
Turkey’s growing influence in Syria, allied with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa since he replaced Bashar al-Assad in 2024, has heightened Israeli concerns. Ankara attributes Israel’s hostile rhetoric and actions in Syria to the upcoming Israeli parliamentary elections scheduled for October.
