Turkey’s government has formally requested Interpol to issue a “Red Notice” for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom they accuse of genocide following the interception of an aid flotilla intended for Gaza. This announcement was made on Friday by Turkey’s Minister of Justice, Akin Gurlek, as reported by AFP.
The Turkish government has been vocally critical of Israel amid its offensive in Gaza, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan frequently accusing Netanyahu of committing genocide.
The interception of the flotilla, which carried approximately 430 activists in May, triggered widespread international outrage. Countries such as France, Italy, and Australia have initiated legal actions following the incident.
In a post on X, Minister Gurlek stated that he has directed the Ministry of Interior to request Interpol to issue Red Notices for Netanyahu and another Israeli, Afek Moskovitch.
What is a Red Notice?
A Red Notice is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or similar legal action. This notice is issued by Interpol’s General Secretariat at the request of a member country and does not constitute an international arrest warrant, as explained on Interpol’s official website.
Gurlek noted that this action is based on arrest warrants that Turkish authorities issued for both Netanyahu and Moskovitch on July 14.
Both individuals are being prosecuted in Turkey for charges including crimes against humanity, genocide, aggravated deprivation of liberty, aggression, intentional bodily harm, torture, destruction of property, aggravated robbery, and the hijacking of transport vehicles, according to the Turkish Ministry of Justice.
The case reportedly includes a total of 35 defendants, as stated by Anadolu.
Approximately 50 vessels were part of the Global Sumud Flotilla that departed from Turkey in May, heading towards Palestinian territories. Activists were detained by the Israeli military in the Mediterranean Sea before being transported to an Israeli prison and subsequently expelled.
