Netanyahu and Erdogan trade insults as Ankara seeks warrant for Israel's attacks on Global Sumud Flotilla activists.

Turkiye has sought an international arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of “genocide” for Israel’s attack in May on activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla for Gaza.

In a post on X on Friday, Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said arrest warrants had been issued on July 14 for Netanyahu and another suspect. Charges included genocide, crimes against humanity and torture, as part of a case against 35 people over the Israeli interception in international waters.

“In line with the arrest warrants issued against Benjamin Netanyahu … our justice ministry has requested that ⁠the interior ministry issue [Interpol] red notices for them so that they may be sought ⁠internationally,” Gurlek said.

Turkiye will use all available legal mechanisms to ensure Israel is held accountable for its crimes in Gaza, he added.

NATO member Turkiye has been one of the fiercest critics of Israel’s genocidal war ⁠on Gaza and has previously issued domestic arrest warrants for Netanyahu over its attacks.

Turkiye has also repeatedly called for international measures against Israel for what Ankara calls its violations of human rights and international law. Israel denies those charges.

  • itsjustachairmary@lemmy.worldEnglish
    201·
    3 hours ago

    Turkish elections are coming up. They won’t risk their NATO membership so this is just bluster from an autocratic regime.

    • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      151·
      2 hours ago

      Sometimes awful people do the right thing for their own awful reasons.

      Doesn’t stop it from being the right thing.

      • itsjustachairmary@lemmy.worldEnglish
        9·
        1 hour ago

        It’s the right thing

        But don’t expect someone like Erdogan of all people to suddenly do the right thing. At least I’m not getting my hopes up you know. Erdogan is a bastard too.

        • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          8·
          1 hour ago

          Yeah, totally with you on the fact that Erdogan is a bastard and a tyrant who doesn’t deserve any praise or trust for doing the right thing only when it suits his own selfish ends.

          That doesn’t stop issuing domestic arrest warrants on war criminals and asking for international ones from objectively and unambiguously being the right thing, though.

        • WanderingThoughts@europe.pubEnglish
          2·
          1 hour ago

          Erdogan sees Israel as competition in the region and a threat to Turkey’s security. He’s not in it to do the right thing.

      • Avicenna@programming.devEnglish
        1·
        16 minutes ago

        It is all political theatre. Erdoğan has been parading Trump as his best friend and closest ally. I think anyone with a pound of brain can see the contradiction here. So I don’t expect them to carry it through with much vigour.

        Not to mention they have been in close trade relations with Israel until recently and only stopped because it came to light. God knows what is still going on behind closed doors.

    • wicked@programming.devEnglish
      4·
      1 hour ago

      This doesn’t risk their NATO membership at all. Why would it? They’re an important strategic ally. Jailing a genocidal war criminal wouldn’t change that much. The US might even support using him as a fall guy if that keeps popular support for Israel as a state.

      • itsjustachairmary@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        13 minutes ago

        You underestimate how intertwined the US and Israel really are and how much political damage it would do to allow this to happen to anyone in the US who can be held responsible for it. There is not a chance in hell they’ll have Netanyahu on the chopping block if they can help it.