Turkiye has officially declared its involvement in South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the United Nations’ highest court.
A Turkish delegation, comprising Ambassador Selcuk Unal and Justice and Development (AK) Party Istanbul lawmaker Cuneyt Yuksel, submitted Turkiye’s file to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.
Turkiye now joins Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, and Spain, who have also aligned with South Africa since it first filed the case in December.
Yuksel informed reporters that Turkiye has been closely monitoring the case from the outset. He highlighted Israel’s failure to comply with previous ICJ provisional orders and its disregard for the law, asserting that Turkey will now “directly intervene” in the proceedings.
South Africa launched the genocide case against Israel at the ICJ on 26 December, accusing Tel Aviv of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention through its ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip. On 26 January, the ICJ issued provisional measures requiring Israel to prevent genocidal acts, including halting military actions, ensuring access to humanitarian aid, and preserving evidence of violations.