ISTANBUL/WASHINGTON (MNN); Türkiye has stepped up legal action against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by seeking international arrest measures over allegations linked to Israel’s interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, as the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Tomoko Akane, warned that pressure and sanctions against the court could lead to the “demise of international rule of law.”
Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the Justice Ministry had requested the Interior Ministry to seek Interpol Red Notices for Netanyahu and another Israeli official, Afek Moskovitch, in connection with judicial proceedings over the interception of flotilla activists in international waters.
According to Turkish authorities, arrest warrants issued on July 14, 2026 accuse the two of offences including genocide, crimes against humanity, aggravated deprivation of liberty, intentional assault, torture, destruction of property, aggravated looting and the hijacking of transport vehicles.
The case relates to the Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising around 50 vessels carrying activists and aid for Gaza. The flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces in the Mediterranean, with activists detained, transferred to Israeli custody and later expelled.
The Turkish move comes amid growing international legal and political pressure over Israel’s war in Gaza. The ICC had earlier issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 in connection with alleged crimes relating to the conflict.
Meanwhile, ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan warned on Friday that sanctions imposed on her by the United States could pose a serious threat to the international legal order.
In her first public comments since the sanctions, Akane said she had anticipated such action but stressed that the world must ensure it did not mark the beginning of the “demise of international rule of law.”
The United States this week imposed sanctions on Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal as part of Washington’s campaign against what it has described as a “politicised” and “corrupt” ICC.
The sanctions bar the two officials from entering the United States and restrict their ability to conduct transactions through the US financial system.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the sanctioned officials of directly participating in ICC efforts to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute officials from governments that, according to Washington, have not consented to the court’s jurisdiction.
The ICC strongly condemned the US action, describing the sanctions as a “flagrant attack” on the independence of the court.
Washington has repeatedly accused the ICC of targeting Israel following its decision to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the ICC, while Palestine has been a member of the court since 2015, allowing the tribunal to examine alleged crimes committed in Palestinian territory.
In a sharp response to Türkiye’s latest legal move, Netanyahu’s office also criticised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and accused Türkiye of attempting to destabilise the region, while vowing that Israel would continue to act against what it considers threats to its security.
