Turkey submits ICJ bid to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel

Ankara: Turkey on Wednesday filed a request with a UN court to join South Africa’s genocide lawsuit against Israel, the foreign minister said.

Turkey’s ambassador to the Netherlands, accompanied by a group of Turkish legislators, submitted a declaration of intervention to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Turkey, one of the fiercest critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza, becomes the latest nation to seek to participate in the case.

“No country in the world is above international law,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli said in a post on X. “The case at the International Court of Justice is extremely important in terms of ensuring that the crimes committed by Israel do not go unpunished.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of genocide, called for it to be punished in international courts and criticized Western nations for backing Israel.

In May, Turkey suspended trade with Israel, citing its assault on Gaza.

In contrast to Western nations that have designated Hamas as a terrorist organisation, Erdogan has commended the group, calling it a liberation

movement.