The Türkiye Human Rights and Equality Institution (TIHEK) released a scathing report on human rights violations and genocide by Israel in Gaza. The report was introduced at an event in the capital of Ankara on Tuesday and is part of efforts to implicate Israel in crimes against humanity.
Compiled by a group of academics, the report also includes archival documents from the Turkish Parliament, as well as articles, photographs and graphics provided by state-run Anadolu Agency (AA). It also delves into what it called the “Zionist project,” the roots of Israeli aggression and Israel’s endeavor to justify it through sacred scriptures.
In its second chapter, the report tackles Israel’s violations of laws in Gaza and other Palestinian cities before the start of a new round of conflict in October 2023. The third chapter includes evidence on Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, through references to violations under international laws.
Speaking at the introduction of the report, Parliamentary Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant represented another major step showing Israel is “touchable.”
As Israel has continued to wage its devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip for over a year, the genocide case filed against it by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) marked the beginning of a new era for Tel Aviv, Kurtulmuş said.
“This is the main reason why Israel has become so aggressive, violating the last remnants of international law,” he noted. With the decisions from the two international courts, he said, “Israel sees that its end is near.”
Kurtulmuş also called for a third step: “Just as the apartheid-era South Africa faced suspension from the United Nations, Israel’s membership of the U.N. should also be suspended.” He praised the ICC’s “courage” against the pressure it has been under, adding that its decision reflects the efforts of countless advocates for Palestinian rights.
“For the judges of both the ICJ and the ICC, it was an honor to deliver such a major judgment,” he said. Kurtulmuş added these decisions “also saved the reputation” of these courts. The Parliament speaker expressed support for countries committed to enforcing the ICC’s decision.