Turkiye joins South Africa's genocide case against Israel at ICJ

Turkiye today submitted a declaration to the UN’s highest court saying that it is joining South Africa’s genocide case against Israel.

The Turkish delegation including Ambassador in the Hague, Selcuk Unal, and Justice and Development (AK) Party Istanbul lawmaker, Cuneyt Yuksel, submitted Ankara’s file to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Turkiye now joins Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine and Spain, who have also joined South Africa, which first filed the case in December.

Yuksel told reporters before submitting the file that Turkiye has monitored the case very closely since the beginning.

He stressed that Israel has failed to implement previous ICJ provisional orders and acted without recognising the law. Turkiye will now “directly intervene” in the case, Yuksel vowed.

South Africa initiated the genocide case against Israel at the ICJ on 26 December, alleging that Tel Aviv was in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention due to its ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip.

The ICJ responded by issuing provisional measures on 26 January, requiring Israel to take steps to prevent genocidal acts, including halting military actions, ensuring humanitarian aid access and preserving evidence of violations.

READ: Turkiye FM meets Arab League envoys in Ankara