The political situation in the Middle East has become even more tense. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar strongly criticized the order issued by the Istanbul Prosecutor General's Office for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a number of high-ranking officials.
In his address on social media, Saar called this action another "piar performance" by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. According to him, this decision has a political basis and is not at all connected with justice.
The Israeli minister emphasized that the Turkish judicial system has become a tool for putting pressure on political opponents, both physically and legally, in recent years. "Under Erdogan's rule, the courts became not a tool of freedom, but a tool of restraint and punishment. It has restricted the right of journalists, mayors, and judges to express their opinions," Saar added.
He also recalled that the mayor of Istanbul was recently arrested solely for opposing the president, citing this as evidence of the impartiality of Turkey's political system.
On November 7, it was reported that the Istanbul Prosecutor General's Office issued arrest warrants for 37 Israeli officials, including Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Kas, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Chief of the Army General Staff Eyal Zamir.
The Turkish side accuses them of committing "genocide and crimes against humanity" through actions in the Gaza Strip. Some of them are also being held liable for offenses against the ships of the Sumud flotilla in the territory of Palestine.
In addition, the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Netanyahu is still in force. The court rulings indicated that the Israeli Prime Minister was suspected of "crimes against humanity and military offenses" from October 8, 2023, to May 20, 2024.
Tel Aviv categorically denied these accusations, calling the ICC's position "a politicized and anti-Semitic-influenced decision." According to Israeli officials, these attempts are aimed at the political isolation of the country.
So far, the Ankara side has not responded to these criticisms. However, observers point out that this event could further cool relations between Turkey and Israel.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
