Marrakech – Turkey is set to submit a declaration of intervention on Wednesday in South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, accusing Israel of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention in its military campaign in Gaza.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Oncu Keceli announced that Turkish Ambassador Selcuk Unal will present the application to the court at 1:30 p.m. GMT.
Turkey’s move comes after Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s statement on Monday regarding Ankara’s intention to join the case.
The intervention is expected to be the most significant so far, potentially encouraging other regional countries to follow suit.
Nicaragua, Colombia, Libya, Mexico, Spain, and Palestinian officials have already sought to join the proceedings.
South Africa initiated the case in December 2023, alleging that Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, violates the Genocide Convention.
The war has left vast areas of Gaza in ruins, with Israel accused of killing nearly 40,000 Palestinians and causing a severe humanitarian crisis due to a crippling blockade on food, clean water, and medicine.
The ICJ has issued several provisional measures, including ordering Israel to halt military attacks, ensure humanitarian aid access, and allow UN investigators into Gaza.
However, Israel has continued its offensive, most recently invading the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge.
Turkey’s intervention is expected to support South Africa’s arguments and provide a detailed interpretation of how the Genocide Convention should be applied to Israel’s actions in Gaza.
By joining the case under Article 63 of the ICJ Statute, Turkey aims to guide the court’s understanding of the convention and exert legal and political pressure on Israel.
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The move also reaffirms Turkey’s legal and moral responsibilities on the global stage, with Ankara likely to present a comprehensive declaration that may influence the deliberations of ICJ judges and the case’s outcome.
Turkey’s intervention comes at a time of heightened tensions with Israel, as the two former allies have experienced a volatile relationship marked by periods of friction and reconciliation.
The ICJ is currently in the preliminary objections phase of the case, determining whether it has jurisdiction to hear the allegations against Israel.
If the court decides to proceed, the case is expected to take several years to conclude, with genocide cases often lasting over a decade.
Turkey and other intervening states will have the opportunity to participate in deliberations on both the court’s jurisdiction and the case’s merits.
