Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the preparation of a complaint to the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.

The complaint will concern the Kurdish issue and the Palestinian Hamas movement. This was reported by the I24 television channel, citing its sources.

Netanyahu's directive

The television channel's material states: "Netanyahu has instructed Israel's special interagency team and the director of the International Law Department to prepare a complaint against Erdogan. Israel intends to accuse Erdogan over his policy toward the Kurds and over the suspected financing of Hamas."

This directive was issued in response to the Turkish Ministry of Justice previously sending a request to Interpol to issue a "red notice" against Netanyahu.

Procedure for filing a complaint with the ICC

Israel can file the complaint with the ICC itself. However, according to the television channel, Israeli authorities will likely turn to another country or a special mediator to initiate the case.

Neither Israel nor Turkey has joined the Rome Statute, which establishes the ICC. Therefore, neither country fully recognizes the court's jurisdiction.

Erdogan's stance on Israel

Erdogan has consistently criticized Israel harshly. He has called the Israeli army's actions in the Gaza Strip "genocide." He describes Hamas members as "resistance fighters."

Turkey has previously allowed well-known Hamas leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashaal, to reside in the country and has provided political support.

The ICC warrant and the escalation between the two countries

In late November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. They were charged in connection with alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

Relations between Turkey and Israel sharply escalated after the war in the Gaza Strip began in October 2023. Ankara has repeatedly accused Israeli authorities of excessive use of force against Palestinians. Turkey halted trade relations with Israel.

In addition, Turkey supports the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.