Turkey requests Interpol red notice for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla raid

Red notice request

On 21 August 2026, Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced that Turkey asked the Ministry of the Interior to request Interpol red notices for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli citizen Afek Moskovitch. The move follows domestic arrest warrants issued on 14 July 2026 by Istanbul's 11th High Criminal Court. Turkish prosecutors opened the case against 35 suspects in connection with the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters. A red notice functions as an alert asking law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally detain an individual pending extradition, subject to review by Interpol's general secretariat. Gurlek stated that Turkey intends to deploy all legal mechanisms to pursue accountability.

In line with the arrest warrants issued against Benjamin Netanyahu, our justice ministry has requested that the interior ministry issue red notices for them so that they may be sought internationally.

Flotilla interception and charges

The charges against Netanyahu and Moskovitch include genocide, crimes against humanity, aggravated deprivation of liberty, assault, torture, property destruction, aggravated looting, and transport hijacking. The case stems from an operation in May 2026, when Israeli naval forces intercepted around 50 boats carrying roughly 430 crew members and activists attempting to deliver aid to Gaza. Israeli forces fired on at least two vessels in international waters west of Cyprus. The detained activists were transported to Israel, held in Ktziot prison, and later deported. During the detentions, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published video footage showing restrained activists kneeling on the ground.

Diplomatic fallout and Syria strikes

Netanyahu dismissed the Turkish legal action in an official statement released by his office, attacking the Turkish president directly.

Erdogan is an antisemitic dictator who has massacred the Kurds, gives shelter to Hamas terrorists, occupies half of Cyprus and imprisons a record number of journalists and political opponents.

Netanyahu added that Turkish attempts to intimidate Israeli leaders and soldiers would not succeed. The Turkish presidency responded on social media, accusing Netanyahu of deploying petty political tactics for electoral gain ahead of Israel's planned legislative elections in October 2026. The exchange follows an 18 August 2026 Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur air base in northwestern Syria, where Israel claimed Turkish troops might deploy. Both Damascus and Ankara denied that any deployment of Turkish forces to the base was planned.

Judicial history and activist response

The legal dispute over maritime blockades connects to fifteen years of legal friction between Ankara and Tel Aviv over Gaza aid convoys. In November 2025, an Istanbul court issued domestic warrants on genocide charges against 37 Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. Activists involved in maritime aid efforts welcomed the latest legal measures from Ankara. Maria Elena Delia, the Italian spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla, stated that flotilla organizers support judicial steps aimed at ending prolonged impunity for actions taken in international waters. Interpol will assess whether the Turkish filing complies with its constitution before deciding whether to circulate the notices.