Netanyahu brands Erdogan ‘antisemitic dictator’ after Türkiye’s Interpol plea

Ankara wants the Israeli prime minister internationally sought on genocide and crimes against humanity charges

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has lashed out at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after Ankara announced that it’s seeking an Interpol Red Notice for the controversial leader on genocide charges. The war of words comes amid broader tensions between the two US allies after Türkiye was angered by recent IDF airstrikes on an airbase in Syria.

An Interpol Red Notice is a request to police worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted person pending extradition.

In a statement on X on Friday, Netanyahu’s office labeled Erdogan “an antisemitic dictator, who has massacred Kurds, harbors Hamas terrorists, occupies half of Cyprus, and jails record numbers of journalists and politicians who oppose him.”

The Turkish leader “now seeks to extend his aggression against Israel into Syria. Israel will not tolerate it,” it stressed.

“Erdogan’s pathetic attempt to intimidate the leaders and soldiers of Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, will go nowhere,” the statement read.

Earlier on Friday, Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said on X that Netanyahu was among 35 defendants wanted over “an attack” on the activist-operated Global Sumud Flotilla, which sought to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza. The charges include genocide, crimes against humanity, torture, deprivation of liberty, hijacking a transport vehicle, and property damage.

“We categorically reject the notion that the Netanyahu government, which is pursuing a policy of genocide in Gaza, is untouchable and cannot be held accountable,” Gurlek said.

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The Israeli Navy has boarded several convoys in international waters sailing for Gaza, most recently in May, when more than 400 activists were detained aboard around 50 boats. The activists were deported to Greece and alleged mistreatment while in Israeli custody.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said at the time that all participants in “the provocative flotilla” were unharmed.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly compared Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler over the war in Gaza and accused him of committing genocide against Palestinians. Netanyahu, in turn, has labeled Erdogan an “anti-Semitic dictator” and accused him of committing genocide against Kurds.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned Erdogan against dragging his country “into dangerous adventures in Syria” after Ankara strongly condemned the strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase on August 18. The attack caused no casualties but damaged recently built runways.

Both Syria and Türkiye denied Israel’s claim that Turkish troops were set to be deployed in the area. US presidential envoy to Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack also condemned the Israeli strikes as an unnecessary escalation.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently considering South Africa’s genocide case against Israel. Separately, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

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Israel, which is a party to the ICJ Statute but not a member of the ICC, has denied the allegations.