Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the preparation of a legal file against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which could be taken to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, i24NEWS reported. It is expected to include allegations about the actions of the Turkish authorities against the Kurdish population, as well as alleged support and financing of “Hamas“.
According to the media, Israel may bring the case independently, but the more likely option is to do so through an intermediary. So far, there is no confirmation that the file will be officially submitted. The Israeli side also considered the possibility that the very existence of such material could be used as a means of putting pressure on Ankara and preventing a new escalation.
Netanyahu and representatives of the Israeli Ministry of Justice have refused to comment on the information. Both Israel and Turkey are not parties to the Rome Statute, on which the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court is based, i24NEWS notes. This raises additional legal issues before any possible proceedings.
The reason is the dispute between Ankara and Jerusalem
The preparation of the file comes against the backdrop of a sharp deterioration in relations between Israel and Turkey. Ankara earlier announced that it had taken steps to issue an international arrest warrant for Netanyahu over Israel's actions in Gaza.
In his speech to the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu accused Erdogan of harboring the leadership of “Hamas“, calling for the destruction of Israel and seeking influence in Jerusalem. He also said that the Turkish president was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Kurds, denied the Armenian genocide and maintained claims to territories in the region. “Erdogan killed thousands of Kurdish citizens, denied the Armenian genocide, illegally occupied the northern part of Cyprus“, the Israeli prime minister said, quoted by “Interfax“.
The Turkish side rejected the accusations. A representative of the Turkish mission to the UN described Netanyahu's words as “lies and personal attacks“ and said they were aimed at diverting attention from the war and the destruction in Gaza.
Elections leave Netanyahu without a guaranteed majority
Against this backdrop, former Netanyahu adviser Benny Briskin assessed the prime minister's chances of retaining his post after the parliamentary elections on October 27 as high. However, his assessment comes in the context of a contested election campaign and the lack of a clear parliamentary winner.
A survey published by “Zman Israel“ puts the bloc around Netanyahu and the opposition bloc in equal positions with 53 seats each in the 120-seat Knesset. Both formations remain eight mandates short of the required majority of 61 deputies. The position of the Arab parties, which according to the same study would receive the remaining 14 seats, could prove decisive.
Thus, Briskin's assessment diverges from the picture from the latest polls, but does not rule out the possibility that Netanyahu could remain prime minister in the event of a new political stalemate or successful coalition negotiations. International pressure, relations with Turkey and the war in Gaza are expected to be among the main topics in the period remaining until the vote.
Sources: i24NEWS, Interfax, Times of Israel