Türkiye seeks Interpol red notice for Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla case

Türkiye seeks Interpol red notice for Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla case
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a news conference following a U.S.-Iran deal in Jerusalem, 15 June 2026.
Reuters

Türkiye has asked Interpol to issue a red notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a criminal case linked to Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said on Friday.

Gürlek said arrest warrants had been issued for Netanyahu and another suspect, Afek Moskovitch, in a case involving 35 defendants linked to the interception of the flotilla in international waters. The warrants include charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and torture.

The Justice Ministry has asked the Interior Ministry to seek Interpol red notices for Netanyahu and Moskovitch, allowing them to be sought internationally, Gürlek said.

Flotilla case

The case concerns the alleged armed intervention against civilians attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza in international waters and their subsequent detention.

A sailing boat, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla aiming to reach Gaza, sails off Crete island, Greece, 25 September 2025.
Reuters

Türkiye has said it will use all available legal mechanisms to hold those responsible to account.

An Interpol red notice is a request to police forces worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. Interpol reviews requests submitted by member states before deciding whether to issue a notice.

Israel rejects the move

Netanyahu’s office rejected Türkiye’s move, describing it as a "pathetic attempt" by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to intimidate Israeli leaders and soldiers, and said it would "go nowhere".

Türkiye has previously issued domestic arrest warrants for Netanyahu over the Gaza war and has repeatedly called for international action over what Ankara describes as human rights and international law violations. Israel denies the allegations.

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