From Interpol to Syria: Turkey and Israel Expand Their Confrontation

Israeli media reported on Friday that Turkey's move to issue red notices from Interpol against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the 'Gaza Flotilla' case comes amid rising tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv over military presence in Syria.

The announcement of this legal step, which Turkey began last month, follows days after an Israeli strike on the Abu al-Duhur Syrian base and direct warnings exchanged between the two sides, reflecting a shift in confrontation from political and security tensions to a more intense legal and diplomatic track.

Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gulac announced that Ankara has taken steps to issue Interpol red notices against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as part of an ongoing trial in Istanbul following the detention of the 'Global Resistance' flotilla.

Dictator Antisemitic

In its first response to the Turkish announcement, Netanyahu's office issued a sharply worded statement on Friday, describing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a "dictator hostile to Jews."

Netanyahu's office stated in a brief message on platform X that Erdogan has committed massacres against Kurds, harbors Hamas terrorists, occupies half of Cyprus, and imprisons record numbers of journalists and opposition politicians. He is now seeking to expand his aggression against Israel to include Syria. Israel will not tolerate this.

It added that "Erdogan's pitiful attempt to intimidate Israeli leaders and soldiers will achieve nothing," emphasizing that Israel, the only genuine democracy in the Middle East, will not be cowed.

"Red Line"

Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, told WaLa website that Tel Aviv does not seek confrontation with Turkey or Syria, but considers Ankara to have crossed a "red line" concerning understandings related to preserving the status quo inside Syria.

Leiter said relevant authorities have reviewed intelligence information, and Israel made clear that what occurred constitutes a direct breach of these understandings, prompting action.

He affirmed Israel is "open to dialogue with Ankara," but noted that statements by senior Turkish officials reflect a desire to "erase Israel from the map," as he put it.

He also pointed out that Turkey’s move contradicts agreements reached during former U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration between Israel and the Syrian leadership under Ahmad al-Sharaa, which solidified the current situation in the country.

According to the ambassador, Israel received clear intelligence indicating Turkey intends to significantly expand its military presence in Syria. This escalation followed an Israeli airstrike early this week, when fighter jets dropped at least eight bombs on runways and aircraft parking areas at a Syrian base located approximately 72 kilometers from the Turkish border.

On July 14, an Istanbul court issued an arrest warrant and submitted a request for an Interpol red notice against the prime minister in this case. Now, Gulac detailed the steps taken following that decision.

After issuing arrest warrants against Netanyahu, the Ministry of Justice contacted the Turkish Interior Ministry to urge Interpol to include them on the international wanted list. Documents on the matter were also referred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the Turkish minister, Netanyahu is accused in Turkish courts of committing crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, unlawful deprivation of liberty under harsh conditions, intentional infliction of harm, torture, destruction of property, aggravated theft, and carjacking. These are merely allegations before Turkish courts and not a final judicial verdict proving Netanyahu committed the crimes attributed to him.

Gulac accompanied his announcement with a strongly worded message against the Israeli government, stating: "We will not allow crimes committed in Gaza to go unpunished, nor will we allow those responsible to be shielded by impunity."

He added that Ankara will continue using national and international legal mechanisms and stand firmly with Palestinians under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He continued: "We will take all necessary steps resolutely to hold perpetrators of crimes against humanity accountable under law."

Later, Netanyahu confirmed that Israel had warned about Turkey’s military buildup in Syria, stating: "We will not allow a Turkish military expansion moving southward; it poses a threat to us."

According to Reuters, even before the attack, the issue of Turkish military presence was raised in an unusual conversation on August 14 between Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Shibani and Mossad chief Roman Gafni. In turn, Syria affirmed it had informed Israel prior to the attack that there was no intention to establish a permanent Turkish military presence at the base. The Syrian foreign minister also described the Israeli operation as unjustified.

Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz joined the exchange of messages, issuing a direct warning to the Turkish president. Katz warned Erdogan against dragging Turkey into "dangerous adventures in Syria" and testing Israel’s resolve in defending itself. The core of the Israeli message is that expanding Turkey’s military presence further south in Syria constitutes a security threat that will not be allowed to become reality.

Turkey rejected Israel’s claims and the justification provided for the attack. Ankara asserted that statements from Netanyahu’s office aim to justify Israeli strikes in Syria, which it views as violations of national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Turkey also denied having any military presence at the base targeted during the Israeli operation.