Turkey files formal request to join genocide lawsuit against Israel at UN court

Ankara: The foreign minister stated that Turkey had requested to join South Africa's complaint against Israel for allegedly committing genocide in Gaza on Wednesday before a U.N. court. Along with other Turkish lawmakers, Turkey's ambassador to the Netherlands filed a statement of intervention with the International Court of Justice in The Hague. With this development, Turkey—one of the most vocal opponents of Israel's actions in Gaza—becomes the most recent country seeking to take part in the legal proceedings. Palestinian officials have also requested to join the lawsuit, as have representatives from Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Libya. The court has not yet made a ruling about their requests, Associated Press reported.

"We have just submitted our application to the International Court of Justice to intervene in the genocide case filed against Israel," Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan wrote on the social media platform X. "Emboldened by the impunity for its crimes, Israel is killing more and more innocent Palestinians every day."

"The international community must do its part to stop the genocide; it must put the necessary pressure on Israel and its supporters," he said. "Turkey will make every effort to do so.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, has charged Israel with genocide, demanded that it be held accountable in International Courts, and attacked Western countries for their support of Israel. Turkey halted trade with Israel in May, citing the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Erdogan has praised Hamas, referring to it as a liberation movement, in contrast to Western countries that have labelled the group as a terrorist organisation. Late last year, South Africa filed a case with the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of breaking the genocide convention by waging war in Gaza.

Claiming that the assault in Gaza is a justified defensive measure against Hamas militants for their onslaught in southern Israel on October 7, which claimed almost 1,200 lives and resulted in the kidnapping of 250 captives, Israel has categorically denied any genocide charges. The participating nations would have the opportunity to submit written arguments and testify in public discussions if they were accepted into the case. In the genocide case against Israel, preliminary hearings have already taken place, but it will likely take the court years to make a final ruling.

Hamas praised Turkey's move to join the lawsuit and stated in a media statement that it affirms Erdogan's support of the Palestinian cause.

"No country in the world is above international law," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said on X earlier. "The case at the International Court of Justice is extremely important in terms of ensuring that the crimes committed by Israel do not go unpunished.”

Keceli also demanded that the court's precautionary measures be put into effect right away, calling for an end to the military offensive and an increase in aid to Gaza. Israel and Turkey, two former allies, have had a volatile relationship since Erdogan came to office in 2003, punctuated by periods of intense conflict and phases of reconciliation. The latest attempts at normalising relations have been disrupted by the conflict in Gaza.