Parliament to debate involvement of Turkish Jews in Israeli army

Amid ongoing attacks by Israel on the Gaza Strip, the involvement of individuals, primarily Jewish Turkish citizens, who have joined the Israeli military while continuing to live in Türkiye has become a contentious issue.

Hur Dava Partisi (Huda-Par) has introduced a bill titled “Law Proposal on Amendments to the Citizenship Law” to the Turkish Parliament, addressing the status of those participating in Israeli attacks.

If passed, the bill would allow Turkish courts to prosecute crimes committed by foreigners against foreigners in a foreign country, provided the perpetrator is found in Türkiye, in line with the principle of universality.

Additionally, Huda-Par’s proposal includes provisions for seizing the assets, revoking the citizenship, and sentencing to life imprisonment of dual citizens who participated in the Gaza attacks.

A special report by Yilmaz Bilgen of Türkiye newspaper revealed that since the start of Israel’s attacks on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, 4,000 Turkish passport holders have joined the Israeli military, with 65 of them having died in the conflict.

The bill will be voted on Monday, potentially leading to significant legal and social repercussions for those involved.