Turkey requests Interpol red notice for Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla interception

Judicial request for international arrest

On 21 August 2026, Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced that Ankara has requested that Interpol issue red notices for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli citizen Afek Moskovitch. The legal request asks international law enforcement to locate and provisionally detain both individuals pending extradition proceedings. The action follows domestic arrest warrants issued on 14 July 2026 by the 11th High Criminal Court of Istanbul as part of an investigation naming 35 suspects. Turkish prosecutors have charged the defendants with genocide, crimes against humanity, torture, aggravated deprivation of liberty, assault, property destruction, aggravated looting, and the hijacking of maritime transport.

The May flotilla interception

The proceedings stem from the May 2026 interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which departed from Turkey carrying aid to the Gaza Strip. Israeli naval units intercepted approximately 50 vessels in international waters west of Cyprus, opening live fire on at least two boats during the boarding. Israeli authorities took roughly 430 crew members and international activists into custody, holding them at the Ktziot detention facility inside Israel before deporting them. The operation followed an earlier interception in April 2026, when Israeli forces halted another aid flotilla off the coast of Greece. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir published video footage showing the captured activists kneeling with their hands tied.

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

Israeli response to Ankara

The office of Benjamin Netanyahu issued a formal response on Friday, rejecting the Turkish judicial charges. Netanyahu characterized the filing as an unworkable attempt to intimidate Israeli leadership and armed forces. The Israeli response condemned Turkish domestic governance, citing the imprisonment of journalists and political opponents, the military presence in northern Cyprus, operations in Kurdish areas, and Turkish political support for Hamas.

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.

Regional friction in Syria

The judicial dispute coincides with military friction between Israel and Turkey regarding operations in Syria. Days before the Interpol filing, the Israeli military conducted airstrikes against a Syrian airbase, alleging that Turkish forces could potentially deploy to the facility. Syrian authorities stated that no plans existed to deploy Turkish personnel to the base, while the strikes drew protests from Ankara and criticism from the United States. Regional tensions have developed since 2024, when Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa took power after removing Bashar al-Assad. Interpol will review the Turkish application before deciding whether to publish the requested red notices.