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Interpol pursuit begins
Turkey escalated its legal confrontation with Israel by issuing an international arrest warrant request for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tied to Israel’s interception of a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza and the detention of activists aboard, Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said in Buenos Aires on August 21.
“Turkey issued an international arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu”
Gurlek said the Interior Ministry was asked to issue an international red notice against Netanyahu after an Istanbul court issued an arrest warrant on July 14 on charges of "genocide," and he said the documents were also sent to the Foreign Ministry for action.
Akhbaar 24 reported that Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ announced on X that Turkey requested international Red Notices for Netanyahu and another Israeli citizen, Avichai Moscowovitch, as part of investigations into the “Freedom Flotilla” case.
The same reports tied the request to arrest warrants issued on July 14 against Netanyahu and Moscowovitch on charges of "genocide" connected to the flotilla interception and detention of activists in international waters.
Netanyahu rejects, Turkey insists
Netanyahu’s office responded by attacking Turkey’s motives and personnel, saying in a statement that Erdogan is an "anti-Semitic dictator" and that Israel "will continue to act firmly against Turkey's attempts to destabilize the region."
Al-Ain Al-Akhbariyah quoted Netanyahu’s office saying: "Israel will continue to act firmly against Turkish attempts to destabilize the region and against any threat to its security."
On the Turkish side, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the judicial path in Istanbul continues to examine case No. 2026/108, which includes 35 defendants, including Netanyahu and Avichai Moskowicz, and he said Turkey asked the Ministry of Interior to issue a Red Notice.
Al-Jazeera Net described Gürla’s position that a red notice is not an enforceable international arrest warrant but a request that goes through INTERPOL to help locate a wanted person and temporarily detain them, pending extradition or other legal action.
Case details and next steps
Turkey’s legal filings describe the underlying prosecution as ongoing before Istanbul’s courts, with Al-Jazeera Net saying the 11th High Criminal Court in Istanbul continues to review case no. 2026/108 and that it includes 35 defendants.
“case no. 2026/108, which includes 35 defendants, including Netanyahu and Israeli Avichai Moskowicz”
Akhbaar al-ghad reported that Bozdağ said the court issued arrest warrants on July 14, 2026 for Netanyahu and Moscowvitch on charges of genocide, and that Turkey requested a red notice to pursue them internationally while referring memoranda to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Al-Jazeera Net listed the charges Turkey says are before the court, including "crimes against humanity," "genocide," "deprivation of liberty with aggravated circumstances," "willful injury," "torture," "damage to property," "the looting of property" and "hijacking of means of transport."
The same reporting also said the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued in 2024 arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, a decision Israel rejected as politicized.