Khaberni - The Turkish Ministry of Justice requested on Friday from the Ministry of the Interior to issue a "Red Notice" against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for international pursuit, as part of a judicial case accusing him of committing "genocide," according to the announcement made by Minister of Justice Akin Gurlak.
Gurlak stated in a statement published on his account on the Turkish platform "In Social" that the judicial process related to the attack on activists of the "Global Solidarity Flotilla" in international waters, while they were heading to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, is still ongoing.
He explained that the 11th Istanbul High Criminal Court continues to review case number 2026/108, which includes 35 defendants, among them Netanyahu and the Israeli Avik Moscowitch.
Arrest Orders and International Pursuit
The Turkish Minister of Justice added, "Based on the arrest orders issued on July 14, 2026, against Benjamin Netanyahu and Avik Moscowitch for committing genocide, the Ministry of Justice requested the Ministry of the Interior to issue a Red Notice against them for international pursuit, and the related memoranda were referred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
According to Gurlak, Netanyahu and Moscowitch are being tried on charges of armed attack and detention of activists in international waters, including charges of "crimes against humanity," "genocide," "severe deprivation of liberty," "willful injury," "torture," "property damage," "defined looting," and "kidnapping of transportation means."
A Red Notice is not a binding international arrest warrant but a request that goes through Interpol to assist a country in locating and temporarily detaining a wanted individual, pending consideration of extradition or legal action against him.
Furthermore, issuing such a request does not mean that it has been issued and each country remains free to deal with it according to its laws.
No One Above the Law
Gurlak said: "We do not accept any form of view that deals with Netanyahu's administration, which practices a policy of genocide in Gaza, as being above the law or immune from punishment."
He affirmed that Turkey will not forget the crimes committed in Gaza, and will continue to use national and international legal mechanisms firmly.
The Turkish Minister of Justice emphasized that his country will continue to stand by the Palestinian people and the human conscience under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ensuring all necessary steps are taken to pursue those responsible for crimes against humanity in justice.
The International Criminal Court in The Hague had issued in 2024 arrest warrants against Netanyahu and the former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, accusing them of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, a decision that Israel rejected and considered politicized.
Netanyahu Responds
In contrast, the office of Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, that Erdogan is seeking to expand his aggression against Israel from Syria, and Israel will not tolerate this, according to his expression.
The office added that Erdogan's "pathetic" attempt to intimidate Israeli leaders and soldiers will not achieve any results, affirming that Israel will continue to act forcefully against Turkey's attempts to destabilize the region and against any threat to its security.
The statement accused the Turkish president of being an "anti-Semitic tyrant who committed massacres against the Kurds, supports the massacres of the terrorist Hamas movement, and oppresses his people."
Meanwhile, the Turkish presidency today condemned the "contemptible political tactics employed by (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu, aimed at achieving electoral gains," according to its statement published on the X platform.
The statement from the Turkish presidential media office said: "The attempt by the Netanyahu government to portray Turkey as a new threat is also part of this contemptible political maneuver."
This comes amid escalating tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv, following Israeli airstrikes that targeted the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northern Syria, early Tuesday, claiming the presence of a Turkish military mission there, which the Turkish presidency denied and pledged to continue efforts to protect Syria and its territorial integrity, saying that Ankara "will not fall into Netanyahu's trap."
Netanyahu said on Wednesday about the airstrikes: "We made it clear that we will not tolerate a Turkish military presence in Syria, and it seems they did not hear us well, so we made sure they understood better," according to his expression.
