Istanbul (Somalia Today) — Turkey-Israel relations plunged into a new crisis Friday after Istanbul’s chief prosecutor issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 36 other senior officials on charges of genocide.
The move marks a severe escalation in diplomatic hostilities. Israel furiously rejected it as a “contemptible PR stunt” orchestrated by Turkey’s president.
The Istanbul prosecutor’s office announced its investigation determined Israeli officials bear criminal responsibility. The charges cite “systematic acts of genocide and crimes against humanity” in Gaza and acts targeting the Global Sumud Flotilla.
The warrants also name Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir and Navy Commander David Saar Salama are also targeted.
The warrants follow a year of intense legal pressure on Israel. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued its own arrest warrants for Mr. Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes.
Israel’s Gaza offensive began in October 2023 and ended with a fragile ceasefire on October 10, 2025. It killed close to 69,000 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza health officials.
Israel slams ‘tyrant’ Erdogan
Israel’s government met the announcement with a sharp, personal rebuttal.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel “firmly rejects, with contempt,” the charges. He called them “the latest PR stunt by the tyrant (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan” in a post on the social media platform X.
Saar added that in Turkey, “the judiciary has long since become a tool for silencing political rivals and detaining journalists, judges and mayors.” He appeared to reference the controversial March arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key political rival of Erdogan.
The warrants also deepen a strategic dispute over the future of Gaza.
Israel’s former foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, wrote on X. He said the Turkish warrants for Israeli officials “clearly explain why Turkey should not be present in the Gaza Strip — directly or indirectly.”
Israel has repeatedly expressed its opposition to any Turkish participation in a proposed international stabilization force for post-war Gaza. It views Ankara as too close to Hamas.
The Palestinian group Hamas immediately welcomed the Turkey arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Ankara does not designate Hamas as a terrorist organization.
In a statement, Hamas called the decision a “commendable step.” It said the move “reflects the genuine positions of the Turkish people and leadership in standing firmly by justice, humanity, and the bonds of brotherhood” with the Palestinian people.
The group said Palestinians have faced “one of the most brutal genocidal wars in modern history at the hands of the fascist occupation leaders.”
Hamas called on other world governments and judicial bodies to “issue legal warrants to pursue the leaders of the Zionist (Israeli) occupation wherever they are.” It urged them “to bring them before courts.”
Turkish legal basis
The prosecutor’s action followed several criminal complaints, including a high-profile one from the Istanbul Bar Association.
Speaking at a press conference, Istanbul Bar Association Chair Yasin Şamlı said the association filed the complaint over specific incidents. These include the killing of 5-year-old Hind Rajab, the bombing of the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, and crimes against the Global Sumud Fleet.
Şamlı recalled that Hind Rajab was shot 335 times inside a vehicle. He said: “This act shows the world that Israel is committing an open genocide. Israel kills children out of fear… Israel is a threat to all humanity.”
Şamlı emphasized that under Articles 76 and 77 of the Turkish Penal Code, the crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity fall within Turkish court jurisdiction. He noted they carry no statute of limitations.
“The perpetrators of genocide will one day be held accountable before the law,” Şamlı added.
The Istanbul prosecutor’s office said the 37 suspects are not currently in Turkey. As a result, the Istanbul Criminal Court of Peace issued the detention warrants on November 7, 2025.
The prosecutor’s office described the investigation as “ongoing with precision and in a multifaceted manner.” This national Turkey arrest warrant for Netanyahu adds a new layer of legal and diplomatic pressure. It is separate from the ongoing case at the ICC.
