Turkey to join South Africa in genocide case against 'Israel' at ICJ

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 May 2024 18:50
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The Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking alongside Indonesia's Foreign Minister in Ankara, declares Turkey's intention.

Judges enter the International Court of Justice, or World Court, in The Hague, Netherlands, on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. (AP)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Wednesday, in a joint press conference with Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Ankara, that Turkey intends to participate in South Africa's case against "Israel" for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

"Upon completion of the legal text of our work, we will submit the declaration of official intervention before the ICJ with the objective of implementing this political decision," Fidan added.

"Turkey will continue to support the Palestinian people in all circumstances," he stressed.

A flashback

In January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) directed "Israel" to abstain from actions potentially falling under the Genocide Convention and to guarantee that its military does not engage in genocidal activities against Palestinians, following South Africa's accusation of committing genocide in Gaza.

President Tayyip Erdogan stated in January that Turkey was furnishing evidence for the ICJ case, also referred to as the World Court.

In November 2023, the governing Justice and Development Party attorneys said that Turkey had filed a case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing him of committing genocide against the Palestinians.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed to reporters on November 4 that Turkey is no longer considering Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as its "interlocutor", but the head of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization, Ibrahim Kalin, remains in contact with "Israel".

This comes as the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced, on Wednesday, that the number of Palestinians killed in the ongoing Israeli genocide in the Strip since October 7 has now reached 34,568, with 77,765 injured.