Turkey seeks 4,600-year prison sentences for PM Netanyahu, other senior Israeli leaders over flotilla interception

Prosecutors in Turkey are reportedly seeking 4,596 years of prison time in filed indictments against 35 top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, for the Israeli military’s naval interception of the anti-Israel October 2025 “Sumud” Flotilla.

Other senior Israeli officials on Turkey's list included IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. 

Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek claimed that the indictment against the Israeli leaders reflected the nation's commitment to “international law.” 

Netanyahu responded that Israel would continue fighting against terrorism. He also accused the Turkish regime of massacring Kurdish citizens. 

“Israel under my leadership will continue to fight Iran’s terror regime and its proxies, unlike Erdogan, who accommodates them and massacres his own Kurdish citizens,” Netanyahu wrote in a post on 𝕏. 

Katz also blasted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as a “paper tiger” that promotes antisemitism in the international arena. 

“Erdogan, who did not respond to missile fire from Iran into Turkish territory and has proven to be a paper tiger, is now fleeing into the realm of antisemitism and calling for show trials in Turkey against Israel’s political and military leadership,” Katz stated.

“What an absurdity. A man of the Muslim Brotherhood, who massacred the Kurds, accuses Israel – defending itself against his Hamas allies – of genocide,” Katz continued, referring to the close ties between the Turkish regime and the terrorist organization Hamas. 

“Israel will continue to defend itself with strength and determination – and he would do well to remain silent,” Katz concluded.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry replied to Netanyahu’s post, calling the Israeli prime minister “the Hitler of our time.”

Turkey and Israel once maintained close diplomatic and security ties, but relations have deteriorated sharply in recent years, particularly since the Hamas massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Under Erdoğan, Ankara has refused to condemn attacks on Israeli civilians or recognize Hamas as an internationally designated terrorist organization. Instead, it has hosted Hamas leaders while criticizing Israel’s military response.

In 2024, Erdoğan affirmed Turkey’s strong ties with Hamas while falsely equating Israel with Nazi Germany and comparing Netanyahu to the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. “Netanyahu and his administration, with their crimes against humanity in Gaza, are writing their names next to Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin, like today’s Nazis.”

Turkey has consistently argued that Israel deliberately targets civilians, a claim Israel rejects. Israel has stated that it issues warnings to civilians and carries out evacuation efforts during military operations.