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Turkey's Minister of Justice Akin Gurlek has formally requested an Interpol Red Notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and official Afek Moskovitch, following arrest warrants issued by the Istanbul 11th Heavy Penal Court over an armed intervention against the Global Freedom Flotilla delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The legal action targets 35 defendants accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, and violent military action against civilian activists in international waters. In an official statement on X detailing the court proceedings, the Turkish Justice Minister confirmed that relevant documents have been forwarded to both the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to initiate the international search and extradition process via Interpol. He stated that the arrest warrants were issued for the two on July 14, adding that the Interior Ministry had been asked to initiate the international search process. "The judicial process regarding the attack carried out against activists of the Global Freedom Flotilla, which set sail to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, continues with determination. In the case numbered 2026/108 Esas of the Istanbul 11th Heavy Penal Court, prosecution is being conducted against 35 defendants, including Binyamin Netanyahu and Afek Moskovitch. In the scope of the file, in line with the arrest warrants issued on July 14, 2026, for Binyamin Netanyahu and Afek Moskovitch on the charge of "Genocide," a request has been made to our Ministry of Interior for the issuance of a red notice at the international level for their search, and the relevant documents have been forwarded to our Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he wrote "We categorically reject the notion that the Netanyahu administration, which is implementing a genocide policy in Gaza, is untouchable and unaccountable, We will not allow the crimes committed in Gaza to be covered up or the perpetrators to be shielded by impunity. We will resolutely utilize all possibilities of national and international law," he added. He stated that the indictment charges Netanyahu, Moskovitch with multiple severe offences connected to the interception and detention of international aid workers, including "Crimes Against Humanity," "Genocide," "Deprivation of Liberty of a Qualified Person," "Intentional Injury," "Torture," "Damage to Property," "Qualified Plunder," and "Hijacking of Transport Vehicles." He further noted that under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey remains committed to standing firmly alongside the Palestinian people. "We will take all necessary steps with determination to ensure that those who commit crimes against humanity are held accountable before the law," he wrote. According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, Turkish prosecutors originally indicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 35 other Israeli officials in April 2026 over the naval interception of the "Sumud" Gaza flotilla in October 2025, seeking sentences of up to 4,596 years in prison. The legal action follows an initial arrest warrant issued by Turkey in November 2025 after Israeli forces detained and subsequently deported over 400 participants from the flotilla, including prominent climate activist Greta Thunberg. (ANI)
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