Turkish Prosecutors Seek Life Sentences for Netanyahu and 34 Officials Over Flotilla Attack

Istanbul prosecutors filed an indictment against 35 suspects including PM Netanyahu, seeking aggravated life sentences and prison terms up to 4,596 years each on charges of crimes against humanity, genocide, and torture. The charges stem from Israel's September 2025 armed interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters. Arrests are unlikely, but the indictment adds to international legal pressure against Israeli officials and further strains Turkish-Israeli relations. Israeli FM Katz dismissed the proceedings as a sham trial, accusing Erdogan of anti-Israel rhetoric.