Current sectionIsrael NewsIsrael SecurityNetanyahu's office issued a harsh condemnation of Turkey and its leader, saying that 'Erdoğan's pathetic attempt to intimidate the leaders and soldiers of Israel will go nowhere'Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeTurkish President Tayyip Erdogan (left) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 2017. Credit: Handout/AFP, Olivier FitoussiTurkish President Tayyip Erdogan (left) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 2017. Credit: Handout/AFP, Olivier Fitoussi06:07 PM • August 21 2026 IDTTurkey has asked Interpol to enforce an arrest warrant issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in November, Justice Minister Akın Gurlek said Friday.Last month, Turkey issued another warrant against Netanyahu and the Justice Ministry is now seeking to have an Interpol red notice issued against him. A red notice is a request to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or other legal action.The move is aimed at encouraging authorities in countries other than Turkey to arrest Netanyahu. However, even if Interpol issues such a notice, it does not automatically require any country to arrest him.People protesting against U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, in Istanbul, March. Credit: Emrah Gurel/AP People protesting against U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, in Istanbul, March. Credit: Emrah Gurel/AP Netanyahu's office issued a harsh condemnation of Turkey and its leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, seemingly responding to the announcement. "Erdoğan is an antisemitic dictator who has massacred Kurds, harbors Hamas terrorists, occupies half of Cyprus, and jails record numbers of journalists and politicians who oppose him," the Prime Minister's Office said on X. The statement said Erdogan was seeking to "extend his aggression against Israel into Syria" and that Israel "will not tolerate it." "Erdoğan's pathetic attempt to intimidate the leaders and soldiers of Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East, will go nowhere," it added.Haaretz Election Podcast with Esther Solomon and Judy MaltzEarlier this week, Israel struck Abu al-Duhur air base, in northwestern Syria, shortly after a Turkish delegation reportedly visited the site. Israel said Syria was close to violating existing security understandings with Jerusalem by allowing Turkish forces to establish a presence there.The strikes sparked backlash, with the United States' special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, calling them an "unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability."Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel had warned Turkey it would not tolerate a Turkish military buildup in Syria. He said Israel had "made it clear" to Ankara that it opposed such a presence, appearing to allude to the strikes, which no Israeli authority has officially claimed responsibility for.In November, Turkey issued arrest warrants on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity against 37 senior Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and Navy Commander David Salama. The Turkish Justice Ministry did not identify the other 32 Israelis targeted by the warrants, but said they were also senior officials. All 37 would be at risk of arrest if they entered Turkey.With reporting by Liza Rozovsky.In the NewsTurkey Asks Interpol to Enforce Arrest Warrant Against NetanyahuPoland 'Very Disappointed' as Israel Drops Probe Into Killing of Polish CitizenU.K., Australia and Canada: IDF Closing Probe Into Deadly Gaza Strike 'Shameful'David Remnick on Netanyahu, Mamdani and Israel's 'Failure to Face' GazaMan Shot Dead in Northern Israel as 2026 Homicide Toll Reaches 192Remembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIShe's the Superstar of the Israeli Left, and She Wants PowerIDF Marks Detained Palestinians With Numbers as Northern West Bank Raids ExpandThe American Jewish Establishment Is Defending an Israel That No Longer ExistsIsrael Police Say Missing Israeli Mother and Daughter Found in ArgentinaReality Check: As the Election Nears, Haaretz Debunks Israeli Politicians' Biggest LiesSo Will It Be a Problem if Miriam Adelson Flies to Israel to Vote?