Turkey announced on Friday that it is seeking an Interpol red notice for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, escalating an already bitter diplomatic confrontation between Ankara and Tel Aviv. Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek stated on X that his ministry had requested the interior ministry issue the international alert for Netanyahu and an Israeli soldier identified as Afek Moskovitch, following domestic arrest warrants issued on 14 July 2026. The two face charges including genocide, crimes against humanity, torture, aggravated deprivation of liberty, destruction of property, and hijacking of transport vehicles — all linked to Israel's interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters in May.
The flotilla, comprising around 50 vessels that departed Turkey carrying some 430 activists and humanitarian aid bound for the blockaded Gaza Strip, was intercepted by Israeli naval forces. Activists were detained in the Mediterranean, taken to an Israeli prison, and subsequently expelled. A number of those detained — including French, Italian, Dutch, and Australian nationals — have alleged physical abuse, sexual violence, and torture while in Israeli custody. Israel denied all mistreatment allegations, maintaining that the interception was conducted in accordance with maritime international law. The episode drew additional condemnation when Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir released a video showing himself taunting kneeling detainees with their hands bound behind their backs. France, Italy, and Australia have launched their own judicial proceedings related to the incident.
An Interpol red notice is a request to law enforcement agencies across the organisation's 196 member states to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. Interpol reviews all member-state submissions before deciding whether to publish such notices, and the organisation had not responded to Turkey's request as of Friday. Netanyahu's office dismissed Gurlek's announcement, calling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan an "antisemitic dictator" who had "massacred Kurds" and imprisoned journalists and politicians. Turkey's presidential office responded by accusing Netanyahu of resorting to "petty political tactics" and attempting to portray Turkey as a regional threat.
The arrest warrant announcement comes amid a broader deterioration in Turkish-Israeli relations. Earlier this week, Israel carried out air strikes on the Abu al-Duhur air base in northwestern Syria, which Israel said Turkey had been preparing to use for military deployment — a claim Syria denied. Turkey, which has significant influence in Syria as an ally of President Ahmed al-Sharaa — who came to power after toppling longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in 2024 — condemned the strikes. Ankara has suggested that Israeli rhetoric against Turkey is partly driven by domestic politics ahead of a parliamentary election scheduled in Israel for October.
Turkey has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel's military campaign in Gaza within NATO, the Western-led military alliance of which both countries are members. Erdogan has suspended trade and flights with Israel and has repeatedly accused Netanyahu of genocide, though Ankara has stopped short of formally severing diplomatic relations. Turkey is one of only five countries in the Middle East to formally recognise Israel, a factor that makes any further breakdown in relations diplomatically significant for both sides. Gurlek vowed that Turkey would "take all necessary steps" to ensure accountability for what he described as crimes against humanity.