Ankara has officially asked Interpol to place Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on its international wanted list. The Turkish Justice Ministry initiated the request for a "red notice," according to infohub.kz.
Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the request is linked to a criminal case over an attack on activists of the international flotilla Sumud, which was delivering humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The trial is being held at the 11th Heavy Penal Court in Istanbul, with 35 defendants, including Netanyahu and Afek Moskovich.
According to Gürlek, arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Moskovich were issued on July 14, 2026. Following that, the Justice Ministry asked the Interior Ministry to initiate the issuance of Interpol red notices. The necessary documents were also sent to the Foreign Ministry.
The Turkish side accuses the defendants of actions against civilian activists in international waters. These are people who were trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
"We strongly disagree with the position that the Netanyahu administration has immunity and cannot be held accountable," Gürlek stressed.
The charges include crimes against humanity, genocide, unlawful imprisonment, intentional harm to health, torture, property damage, robbery, and vehicle theft. The minister added that Turkey intends to use all mechanisms provided by national and international law to bring those responsible to justice.
However, an Interpol red notice is not an international arrest warrant. It is a request to law enforcement agencies of member countries to locate and possibly temporarily detain a person pending extradition proceedings.
Netanyahu's office rejected the accusations, calling Ankara's actions an attempt by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to intimidate Israel's leadership and military personnel.