Turkiye joins South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel

Turkiye on Wednesday joined South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the country's Foreign Ministry said. "Our decision to intervene reflects the importance our country attaches to resolving the Palestinian issue within the framework of law and justice," the ministry said in a statement. "The conscience of humanity and international law will ensure that Israeli officials are held accountable," the ministry underlined. The case filed by South Africa at ICJ, which accuses Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in its war on the Gaza Strip, has been closely monitored by Ankara from the outset, it stressed. For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the international community must act to stop the "genocide" in Gaza. "The international community must do its part to stop the genocide and put the necessary pressure on Israel and its supporters," Fidan said on X. "Turkiye will make every effort possible on this path," he added. "Em boldened by the impunity it has received for its crimes, Israel is killing more and more innocent Palestinians every day," Fidan said. He noted that on Wednesday Turkiye submitted an application to the International Court of Justice to join South Africa's genocide case against Israel. Turkiye thus became a party to the genocide case, joining Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Palestine, and Spain, who also joined South Africa, which filed the case last December. The application to the ICJ marks a "concrete and historic step" for the future of the Palestinian cause, Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus said on X. "We will continue our efforts to ensure that Israel is tried in international courts for the crime of genocide and that Netanyahu and his gang receive the harshest punishment they deserve for the crimes they committed," he added. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Y?lmaz Tunc said Turkiye's files, prepared jointly by the Justice and Foreign ministries, clearly show that Israel violated the UN Conv ention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Tunc stressed Turkiye's stance against the genocide in Gaza, adding that this step, taken under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, openly shows the world Turkiye's opposition to the genocide and massacres committed by Israel in Gaza. Source: Kuwait News Agency