Turkey applies to join ICJ genocide case against Israel with a caveat

Ezgi Akin

Aug 7, 2024

Judge and president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Nawaf Salam (2nd R) delivers a nonbinding ruling on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on July 19, 2024. — The judge and president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Nawaf Salam (2nd R), delivers a nonbinding ruling on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem at the International Court of Justice, in The Hague, July 19, 2024. — NICK GAMMON/AFP via Getty Images

ANKARA — Turkey officially applied to the UN International Court of Justice to be a co-plaintiff in South Africa’s case against Israel, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Wednesday, but unlike other applicants' submissions, Turkey’s official submission did not include a written commitment to accept that the judgment would be binding.

“Emboldened by the impunity of its crimes, Israel is killing more and more innocent Palestinians each day,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on X after the official submission to the United Nations’ highest legal body based in The Hague.

“The international community must do its part to stop the genocide and exert the necessary pressure on Israel and its supporters.”

South Africa brought the case in December, claiming that Israel’s actions are in breach of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. In an interim ruling in January, the court established the risk of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and ordered Israel to ensure that its forces refrain from acts of genocide in the enclave.