Turkey seeks Interpol red notice for Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla attack

Aug 21, 2026

Turkey has requested Interpol red notices for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and soldier Afek Moskovitch, following domestic warrants issued on July 14, 2026. The charges, including genocide and crimes against humanity, stem from Israel's May 2026 interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters. While Turkey vows to use all legal means to hold Israel accountable, Netanyahu's office dismissed the move as a pathetic attempt at intimidation, amid rising bilateral tensions over recent Israeli airstrikes in Syria.

Turkey Interpol red notice

▪An Interpol red notice acts as a formal request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, subject to review by Interpol
▪Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced on August 21, 2026, that Turkey's Ministry of Justice has requested the Ministry of Interior to seek Interpol red notices for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and another Israeli suspect

Netanyahu arrest warrant

▪According to Turkey's IHA news agency, Israeli soldier Afek Moskovitch is accused of posting Instagram footage showing military vehicles destroying buildings, including a hospital, at the Islamic University of Gaza
▪The Turkish domestic arrest warrants and subsequent Interpol requests name Israeli soldier Afek Moskovitch as the second suspect alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
▪Turkish authorities issued domestic arrest warrants on July 14, 2026, for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and another suspect as part of a domestic criminal case

Global Sumud Flotilla interception

▪In May 2026, Israeli forces opened fire on at least two vessels from the Global Sumud Flotilla, which consisted of about 50 vessels carrying activists attempting to deliver aid to Gaza
▪The Global Sumud Flotilla activists were detained in international waters by the Israeli military, held in an Israeli prison, and subsequently deported
▪France, Italy, and Australia have launched judicial proceedings related to the Israeli military's interception and detention of the Global Sumud Flotilla activists

Genocide charges

▪Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has frequently accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of committing genocide during the war in Gaza
▪Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek stated that the domestic criminal case involves charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and torture against 35 individuals over the Israeli interception of the aid flotilla

Crimes against humanity

▪The Turkish Ministry of Justice is prosecuting Benjamin Netanyahu and Afek Moskovitch for crimes against humanity, torture, aggravated deprivation of liberty, intentional injury, property damage, aggravated robbery, and hijacking
▪A number of freed Global Sumud Flotilla activists accused Israeli security forces of physical or sexual violence during their detention in May 2026

Israel-Turkey diplomatic tensions

▪Turkish officials stated that Israeli military actions and rhetoric against Turkey are driven by political posturing ahead of the Israeli parliamentary election scheduled for October 2026
▪Israel and Turkey traded diplomatic barbs following Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in Syria, where Israel claimed Turkish troops could be deployed
▪Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office dismissed the Turkish legal actions as a pathetic attempt by President Erdogan to intimidate Israeli leaders and soldiers