Turkey asks to join the genocide lawsuit against Israel
Turkey joins South Africa's genocide case against Israel. A corresponding application was submitted by a delegation in The Hague at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as announced by Numan Kurtulmuş, spokesperson of the Turkish parliament, on the X platform. Turkey had already announced this step in May.
Kurtulmuş described the application as a "historic step for the Palestinian cause." Turkey will continue its efforts to ensure that Israel is prosecuted for the crime of genocide in international courts and punished severely for the crimes committed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and "his gang."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who maintains good relations with Hamas, has repeatedly criticized Israel's military operation in Gaza. He accuses Israel of "genocide" against Palestinians. Israel denies the genocide accusations. Relations between the two countries are currently very tense.
South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel at the end of 2023, accusing the country of violating the Genocide Convention. The UN court ordered Israel to take protective measures to prevent genocide and to allow more humanitarian aid for people in Gaza.
At the end of May, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to immediately halt the controversial military operation in Rafah in southern Gaza. In addition to Turkey, several other countries, including Spain as the first EU country, have joined the lawsuit.
Israel cites its right to self-defense after terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people. Since then, Israel has been waging war against Hamas in Gaza. However, thousands of Palestinian civilians have also been killed in the fighting. Israel is therefore facing worldwide criticism.
The submission of Turkey's application to The Hague's ICJ was hailed by Kurtulmuş as a "historically significant step" for the Palestinian cause. Amidst the growing international criticism towards Israel, Turkey has vowed to persistently advocate for Israel's prosecution for genocide charges.
