Gaza: Turkish Justice Minister Akin Grlek announced on Friday that Trkiye has requested the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to issue red notices for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli intelligence officer Afek Moskovitch. This request is part of an ongoing judicial case involving an Israeli attack on activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the proceedings are currently underway before the Istanbul 11th High Criminal Court, with 35 defendants named in the case, including Netanyahu and Moskovitch. The incident in question occurred in international waters, and arrest warrants were issued for the two men on July 14, 2026, on charges such as genocide.
The Turkish Justice Ministry has sought assistance from the Interior Ministry to secure Interpol red notices for Netanyahu and Moskovitch. Relevant documents have also been shared with the Foreign Ministry. The charges against the defendants include crimes against humanity, genocide, aggravated deprivation of liberty, intentional injury, torture, aggravated theft, damage to property, and hijacking of means of transportation.
Grlek emphasized that the prosecution of these acts involves 'armed intervention against civilians providing humanitarian aid to Gaza in international waters and the detention of activists.' He assured that Trkiye would not allow crimes committed in Gaza to be obscured or those responsible to evade justice, pledging to utilize all available means under national and international law.
A red notice serves as an Interpol request to global law enforcement agencies to locate a person wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence, seeking their provisional arrest pending extradition or other legal processes. It is crucial to note that a red notice is not an international arrest warrant and does not obligate countries to arrest the individual.