Istanbul court probes Turkish nationals over Gaza flotilla abuse

The Istanbul 11th High Criminal Court ordered prosecutors to identify and investigate Turkish nationals allegedly involved in the abuse of activists detained during Israel's armed interception of the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, ruling that existing arrest warrants and Interpol Red Notice requests against 35 defendants — including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — remain in effect.

Flotilla participants describe alleged mistreatment

Complainant Osman Cetinkaya, who joined the flotilla as a doctor to deliver medical supplies, told the court that Israeli soldiers confiscated five or six boxes of medical equipment from their vessel. He stated that participants were subjected to mistreatment at Ashdod port and requested to pursue his complaint against the defendants.

Fellow complainant Zeynep Tekocak testified that she endured two strip searches and confronted soldiers after refusing to remove her headscarf. "They recorded me wearing the clothes they gave me instead of my headscarf and mocked me," she said, adding that one soldier claimed to hail from Türkiye's Yozgat province. Tekocak stated that her personal belongings were confiscated and never returned, describing serious violations of privacy.

Turkish lawmaker Sema Silkin Un testified that approximately 80 participants were confined in a poorly ventilated room where sleeping was forbidden. "We were not even allowed to close our eyes where we were held. Sleeping was forbidden," she said, noting that an Israeli soldier insulted Islam while detainees read the Quran. Un added that police officers who arrived the following day verbally abused Türkiye and the detainees in Hebrew.

Lawyers demand broader investigation

Riza Saka, president of the Istanbul No. 2 Bar Association, described the proceedings as historic and requested that international evidence — including provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice concerning allegations of genocide in Gaza — be incorporated into the case. He asked the court to obtain copies of relevant ICJ documents and a UN report on the matter.

Lawyer Yasin Samli argued that the case encompasses allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity and attacks against civilians. He noted that defense teams had submitted eight volumes of evidence, five of which concern alleged crimes against women and children in Gaza.

Court seeks expanded indictment

In its interim ruling, the court observed that the current indictment focuses primarily on actions against the flotilla while allegations regarding crimes against Gaza civilians appear only in general terms. The panel said investigations into genocide and crimes against humanity require a request from Türkiye's justice minister, ordering prosecutors to prepare a separate indictment describing alleged crimes against civilians in concrete terms with supporting evidence.

The court also directed inquiries into whether the 35 defendants hold assets in Türkiye and requested documents from International Criminal Court proceedings through the Justice Ministry. The panel accepted applications to participate from the Istanbul No. 2 Bar Association, MAZLUMDER, the International Jurists Union and the Association of Lawyers of the Earth, adjourning the hearing until March 30, 2027.