Exclusive: Netanyahu orders preparation of ICC case against Erdogan over Kurds, Hamas funding
The case will focus heavily on Erdogan's attacks against Kurdish minorities in Turkey, although it will also touch on his government's funding of Hamas
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israel's inter-ministerial team and the Director of the International Law Department to begin preparing a legal case at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his treatment of Kurds and his funding of Hamas, i24NEWS learned on Sunday.
The order came after Erdogan announced that he had approached Interpol seeking an Interpol Red Notice for Netanyahu, but this was apparently only one of a series of escalations that led to the preparation of a legal case.
The case will focus heavily on Erdogan's attacks against Kurdish minorities in Turkey, although it will also touch on his government's funding of Hamas.
There is a possibility Israel will take the case to the ICC itself, but it is more likely that Israel will utilize a proxy to launch the case. Israel does not recognize the authority of the ICC, as it has not signed the Rome Statute; neither has Turkey
However, sources noted that Israel hopes it will not actually be necessary to file the case at all, and that it aims to use the existence of the case as leverage against Erdogan, effectively using it as a deterrent.
Netanyahu declined to comment on the case, as did Justice Ministry officials.