ISTANBUL — Turkey has begun the process of seeking Interpol Red Notices for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Afek Moskovitch in connection with a criminal case over the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was carrying humanitarian aid toward Gaza.
Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced on August 21 that the Justice Ministry had asked the Interior Ministry to seek Red Notices for Netanyahu and Moskovitch. The relevant documents were also sent to the Foreign Ministry.
Arrest Warrants Issued in July
The case is being handled by Istanbul’s 11th High Criminal Court under file number 2026/108 and involves 35 defendants, including Netanyahu and Moskovitch.
According to Gürlek, arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Moskovitch were issued on July 14, 2026, on a genocide charge. The subsequent request for Interpol Red Notices is intended to seek their international location and provisional arrest in accordance with applicable legal procedures.
Turkish authorities say the case concerns the alleged armed interception of civilians traveling by sea with humanitarian aid for Gaza in international waters and the subsequent detention of activists.
The charges cited by Turkish authorities include crimes against humanity, genocide, aggravated deprivation of liberty, intentional injury, torture, property damage, aggravated robbery and hijacking of transportation vehicles.
Gürlek said Turkey would continue using national and international legal mechanisms in the case.
Global Sumud Flotilla
The legal proceedings concern the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international civilian initiative that sailed toward Gaza in 2025. The flotilla included more than 40 vessels and roughly 500 participants from more than 40 countries, according to contemporary reporting. Its stated objective was to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza and challenge Israel’s naval blockade.
Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla in international waters in early October 2025. The final vessel was intercepted on October 3, with Reuters reporting that Israeli forces had detained around 450 activists from the flotilla. Israel said the detained participants would be taken to its Ashdod port and subsequently deported.
The incident became a major point of dispute between Israel and Turkey. Turkish authorities have described the interception as an unlawful action against civilians, while Israel has maintained that its naval blockade and actions to prevent the flotilla from reaching Gaza were lawful.
What an Interpol Red Notice Means
An Interpol Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant. According to Interpol, it is a request to law-enforcement authorities worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action. Each member country decides what legal action it can take under its own laws.
Interpol also states that individuals subject to Red Notices are wanted by the requesting country or an international tribunal, rather than by Interpol itself. Interpol does not have the authority to compel a member country to make an arrest.
There is currently no indication that Interpol has issued Red Notices for Netanyahu or Moskovitch. Turkey has requested that the notices be pursued following the arrest warrants issued by the Turkish court.
Israel-Turkey Tensions
The latest legal move comes as relations between Turkey and Israel remain highly strained. The two countries have sharply disagreed over Israel’s military operations in Gaza, the blockade and developments involving Syria.
Israel rejects allegations of genocide and has defended its actions concerning Gaza and the flotilla. Recent tensions have also increased over Israeli military action in Syria and Turkey’s involvement there. Reuters reported that Israeli and Turkish concerns over Turkish military deployments in Syria have become part of the broader dispute between the two countries.
Turkey’s request for Interpol action now adds an international legal dimension to the dispute, while the underlying case against the 35 defendants continues before the Istanbul court.
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