Turkish Court Issues International Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu

By Staff, Agencies

An Istanbul court has issued an international arrest warrant for “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of ongoing legal proceedings over the interception of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, according to Turkey Today.

The Istanbul 11^th High Criminal Court issued the warrant on Tuesday, ordering Netanyahu's arrest in connection with a public lawsuit against him and several senior “Israeli” officials.

The indictment includes charges of crimes against humanity, genocide, intentional injury, torture, property destruction, aggravated looting, obstruction of transport, hijacking or unlawful detention of vessels, and unlawful deprivation of liberty.

The ruling follows preliminary detention orders issued in November 2025 against Netanyahu and dozens of other “Israeli” officials over both the flotilla incident and the broader military campaign in Gaza.

In April 2026, Istanbul's Chief Public Prosecutor's Office finalized an indictment seeking aggravated life sentences, arguing that Turkish courts have jurisdiction under international maritime law because the interception occurred in international waters.

The latest ruling formally authorizes Turkish authorities to seek the international enforcement of the charges.

Turkish prosecutors based the case on domestic legislation covering genocide and crimes against humanity, while also invoking provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea under the principle of universal jurisdiction.

The arrest warrant is expected to serve as the basis for a request to INTERPOL to issue a Red Notice seeking Netanyahu's detention by member states, although any enforcement would depend on the cooperation of individual governments.

INTERPOL may decline requests it considers political, while the “Israeli” entity is expected to reject any attempt to enforce the warrant.

The Turkish proceedings are separate from the International Criminal Court's case, which issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former “Israeli” War Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war on Gaza.