Turkish Justice Issues Arrest Warrants for 'Genocide' Against Netanyahu and Israeli Officials

Turkish justice issued arrest warrants on Friday for 'genocide' against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar firmly dismissed these warrants, calling them a 'last publicity stunt by the tyrant Erdogan,' referring to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A total of 37 suspects are targeted by these arrest warrants, according to a statement from the Istanbul prosecutor's office, which did not provide a full list. Among them is also Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, as mentioned by the Istanbul prosecutor, which denounces the 'systematic genocide and crimes against humanity committed by the Israeli state in Gaza.'

The Turkish justice system also cited the case of the 'Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital' in the Gaza Strip—built by Turkey—which was struck in March by the Israeli army, which claims it served as a base for fighters from the Palestinian Hamas movement.

Turkey, one of the most critical countries of the war waged by Israel in Gaza following the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023, had already joined last year in the genocide procedure against Israel initiated by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

A peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump led to the implementation of a fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on October 10, following over two years of devastating war.

In a statement, Hamas welcomed the decision of the Istanbul prosecutor's office, calling it a 'commendable measure [confirming] the sincere positions of the Turkish people and their leaders, who are committed to the values of justice, humanity, and fraternity that bind them to our oppressed Palestinian people.'

Conversely, 'in Erdogan's Turkey, the judiciary has long become a tool for silencing political rivals and detaining journalists, judges, and mayors,' said Saar in a message in English on X, mentioning the case of Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, a rival of the Turkish president imprisoned since March and targeted by numerous legal proceedings.

'Erdogan's arrest warrants against high-ranking Israeli officials clearly explain why Turkey should not be present in Gaza—directly or indirectly,' stated Avigdor Lieberman, former Israeli Foreign Minister and head of the nationalist Israel Beiteinou party (opposition), on his X account.

Turkey wishes to participate in the international stabilization force expected to play a role in the post-war situation in Gaza according to the plan presented by U.S. President Donald Trump in September.

However, Ankara's efforts, which involve increasing diplomatic contacts with regional countries and seeking to shift the pro-Israeli stance of the United States, are viewed unfavorably by Israel, which considers Ankara too close to Hamas.

Israeli leaders have repeatedly expressed their refusal to allow Turkey to participate in the international stabilization force in Gaza.

Accused by a commission mandated by the UN, several NGOs, and some countries of committing genocide in Gaza, Israel rejects these allegations as 'false' and 'antisemitic.'