Prosecutors in Istanbul have filed an indictment against 35 people, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over last year’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla bound for Gaza, according to state media.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office would seek “aggravated life sentences “alongside additional prison terms ranging from 1,102 years and nine months to 4,596 years for each “suspect”.
Charges include crimes against humanity, genocide, deprivation of liberty, torture, damage to property, qualified looting and the obstruction or hijacking of transportation vehicles.
The flotilla was carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza when Israeli naval forces intervened in international waters in September last year. Activists were detained after Israeli troops boarded the vessels and were later taken to Israel.
The document argues that Turkish courts have jurisdiction under international maritime law and domestic criminal statutes, citing provisions linked to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and Turkey’s penal code.
Israeli officials swiftly rejected the case. Defence Minister Israel Katz dismissed the proceedings as a “sham trial”, accusing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of anti-Israel rhetoric.
Mr Netanyahu also hit back, saying Israel would persist in its campaign against Iran and allied groups, framing the flotilla incident within a broader security context.
“Netanyahu’s current objective is to undermine ongoing peace negotiations and continue his expansionist policies in the region. Failing this, he risks being tried in his own country and is likely to be sentenced to imprisonment,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in response to Mr Netanyahu.
“The fact that our President has been targeted by Israeli officials with baseless, brazen, and false allegations is a result of the discomfort caused by the truths we have consistently voiced on every platform,” it added.
Turkey “will continue to stand by innocent civilians and will further its efforts to ensure that Netanyahu is held accountable for the crimes he has committed”.
The case is unlikely to lead to arrests but adds to mounting legal efforts abroad attacking Israeli officials over the Gaza war, further straining already fraught relations between the two countries.
In October last year, Israel's attempt to appeal against arrest warrants for Mr Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over the Gaza war was rejected by the International Criminal Court.
The court had found “reasonable grounds” to believe Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant bore “criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
An arrest warrant was also issued for three senior Hamas leaders for arranging the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that started the war on Gaza. The warrants were dropped after the leaders were killed by Israel.
