The Turkish Justice Ministry reportedly declined to grant prosecutors permission to file an indictment on senior Israeli officials, following the end of a probe into IDF counterterrorism operations in Gaza, Turkish news agencies reported Thursday. The probe was initiated by the Islamist human rights group Mazlum-Der, which accused Israel of deliberately attacking Gaza civilians “with the aim of annihilating them” during fighting earlier this year.
Prosecutors wished to charge several Israeli officials, among them President Shimon Peres, with genocide and war crimes. According to Turkish law, cases involving genocide or crimes against humanity may be tried in Turkey even if the crimes were committed abroad, but only if the Justice Ministry grants its approval.