Istanbul: Ali Osman Karaoglu, an associate professor of international law at Yalova University in northwestern Trkiye, discusses the implications of Trkiye's recent legal actions against Israeli officials. Following an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on November 7, 2025, a criminal lawsuit has been filed against 35 individuals, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the Istanbul 11th High Criminal Court. Arrest warrants have been issued for the defendants, and an application has been submitted for an Interpol Red Notice against Netanyahu and Afek Moskovitch.
According to Anadolu Agency, a Red Notice serves as a formal request to global law enforcement authorities to locate and provisionally arrest an individual pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, facilitates cooperation among police forces worldwide. Although a Red Notice is based on a valid national arrest warrant, it is not an international arrest warrant itself. Interpol retains the prerogative to dismiss a request if classified as political, which could lead to controversy, especially given the pre-existing International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for Netanyahu.
Should Interpol authorize the request, the execution of a Red Notice depends on a member state's willingness to cooperate within its domestic laws. Without such cooperation, apprehending the targeted individual remains elusive. An Interpol Red Notice operates as a high-priority advisory, enhancing international law enforcement cooperation. However, member states incur no international legal liability if they fail to apprehend the individual, highlighting a critical divergence between Interpol and the ICC.
The issuance of a Red Notice introduces the threat of apprehension across 196 member nations, turning international travel into a high-risk endeavor for Netanyahu and Moskovitch. If authorized, their travel would be severely constrained, similar to the dynamic with the ICC. For instance, Netanyahu's visit to Hungary only occurred because of assurances against detention, despite an active ICC warrant.
Ignoring a Red Notice linked to crimes against Gazans and humanitarian aid workers would be controversial, posing political and diplomatic challenges for host nations. Member states refusing to enforce the notice would need to manage the geopolitical cost of a diplomatic rupture with Trkiye.