Netanyahu Prepares ICC Legal Case Against Turkish President Erdoğan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered preparations for a possible case against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported, citing the move as a response to Ankara's request for an Interpol Red Notice against the Israeli leader.

The request came from Turkey's Justice Ministry. It asks Interpol to issue a Red Notice, which is a request to law enforcement agencies in member countries to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending possible extradition. According to the report, Israel could file the ICC case itself, but is more likely to use an intermediary. Neither Israel nor Türkiye recognises the ICC's jurisdiction, and this is likely to be the main obstacle to any case.

The move follows months of legal escalation between the two governments over the war in Gaza. On 21 November 2024, ICC judges issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The court based its jurisdiction on Palestine's membership of the Rome Statute. In November 2025, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued its own arrest warrants on genocide charges for Netanyahu and dozens of other Israeli officials. Israel rejected those warrants as a political stunt. Turkey has also formally joined South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Erdoğan has repeatedly and sharply criticised Israel's military operations in Gaza. At the same time, critics across the region have pointed out that Ankara's rhetoric often serves its own political ambitions. The report did not say what charges Israel would seek against the Turkish president.

For Qatar and the Gulf, this dispute between two regional powers adds to an already tense diplomatic landscape. Doha has spent much of the war mediating between Israel and Hamas, working alongside Egypt and the United States. Doha's position is that accountability for crimes against Palestinian civilians should be pursued through international law. The Gulf states have argued that the ICC and ICJ proceedings should not be turned into instruments for settling bilateral scores.