Netanyahu slams Erdogan as ‘antisemitic dictator’ after Turkey seeks arrest warrants for Israeli officials

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a sharp rebuke on Friday against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after Turkish authorities requested that Interpol issue international arrest warrants for Netanyahu and dozens of other senior Israeli officials. In a statement, the Prime Minister's Office described Erdogan as an 'antisemitic dictator' who has 'massacred Kurds, harbors Hamas terrorists, occupies half of Cyprus, and jails record numbers of journalists and politicians.' The statement asserted that Israel would not tolerate these attempts to intimidate its leaders and soldiers. The Turkish request was submitted as part of criminal proceedings conducted in absentia at Istanbul’s 11th High Criminal Court, reportedly concerning the Israeli interception of the 'Global Sumud' flotilla, which attempted to breach the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. There is currently no indication that Interpol has accepted the request. Diplomatic relations between Ankara and Jerusalem, which were improving prior to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, have deteriorated significantly, with Erdogan frequently labeling Israel a 'terror state.' Tensions have been further exacerbated by recent Israeli strikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria and mutual accusations regarding regional stability and territorial expansion.