CHP's Erdoğan Toprak: The government should reconsider its decision to intervene in the genocide case in The Hague

Stating that the decision was taken due to domestic political concerns, Toprak said, “The decision to intervene in the genocide case filed against Israel by the Republic of South Africa (RSA) at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is a step taken for domestic political concerns. This decision will leave Turkey outside of any potential peace table that may be established.”

Toprak expressed the following in his statement:

The government, which was forced to take action only after turning a deaf ear for seven months to calls to cut off commercial relations with Israel—which has been perpetrating the most brutal massacres humanity has witnessed against Palestinians in Gaza since October 7—has now decided to intervene in the genocide case filed by the Republic of South Africa at the ICJ on December 23 last year, five months later. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that President Erdoğan had made a 'political decision' regarding intervention in the case, and that they had begun preparations for its legal framework. The fact that there was no legal preparation for intervention in the case until now, and that the legal work was initiated only upon the President's instruction to 'let us intervene,' is a serious inconsistency in terms of state administration.

'ISRAEL MAY MOBILIZE GLOBAL FINANCIAL LOBBIES AGAINST TURKEY'

First of all, with this step, Turkey is losing its chance to be a part of the solution and to take a seat at any potential peace table regarding many issues such as Hamas-Israel ceasefire negotiations, the international recognition of the Palestinian state, resolving the divisions between Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and persuading Israel to agree to a ceasefire and peace. The Republic of South Africa, which filed the case at the ICJ, and Colombia and Nicaragua, which previously applied to intervene, are countries in geographies very far from the Middle East. Apart from Germany, which wants to intervene in favor of Israel, no Western country, no African country other than the RSA, and no Arab countries that have been directly involved in the Palestinian issue for years, such as Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, or Qatar, have intervened in the case. On the contrary, Arab countries that signed the Abraham Accords with Israel continue their political, diplomatic, and economic relations with Israel as if nothing happened, despite the Gaza massacre. The Arab League also did not request to intervene. Saudi Arabia continues its negotiations for a strategic partnership and defense cooperation with the US, and for joining the Abraham Accords with Israel. Turkey is a country with weight in the region and the world. It can still play a very important political and diplomatic role in ending the war. The stance displayed in the genocide case at the ICJ will officially enter the case file.

When the war ends and peace comes, when Israel and Palestine reach an agreement, and when Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is exposed to protests even in his own country, leaves office, this case file will be binding for Turkey and will cast a shadow over relations with Israel. Israel and its supporting Jewish lobbies could cooperate with Greek and Armenian lobbies to file so-called genocide cases against Turkey at the ICJ. Even if Turkey does not recognize the international jurisdiction of the ICJ, it may have to deal with such cases for many years. Israel could mobilize global financial institutions and lobbies against Turkey and take counter-moves for commercial, economic, and political purposes. In this step taken with inward-looking political calculations, it is essential not to ignore all these possibilities, both in terms of our national interests and in terms of protecting our international and regional weight and reputation."

News Source: 12punto