Ankara has expressed strong opposition to Israel’s military actions in Gaza
Türkiye has cut off all commercial and economic relations with Israel, and has also restricted its airspace to certain Israeli flights, according to an announcement by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The relationship between the two nations has been contentious for several months due to Israel’s military operation in Gaza, with Türkiye asserting that Israel is committing genocide.
Speaking to the national parliament on Friday, Fidan stated that Türkiye has “completely ended our trade with Israel” and “barred Israeli ships from our ports.”
“We are preventing container ships transporting weaponry and ammunition to Israel from entering our ports, and aircraft from accessing our airspace,” he further explained.
Fidan also mentioned that vessels flying the Turkish flag are prohibited from docking at Israeli ports, and Israeli ships are similarly prohibited from Turkish ports.
A Turkish diplomatic source informed Reuters that these flight restrictions specifically apply to official Israeli flights and aircraft carrying weapons or ammunition, rather than routine commercial transit.
The news agency also conveyed that Turkish port authorities are now unofficially mandating shipping agents to confirm that vessels have no association with Israel and are not transporting military or dangerous goods destined for the country.
Conversely, an Israeli official informed the Jerusalem Post that Türkiye had “previously declared an end to economic relations with Israel, yet these relations persisted,” seemingly alluding to Ankara’s halt of imports and exports in May.
The minister’s remarks represent the newest sign of worsening ties between Türkiye and Israel, which have been stressed by the conflict in Gaza. The hostilities commenced with an unexpected assault by Hamas on Israel in October 2023, leading to a retaliatory military action against the Palestinian territory.
Türkiye has leveled accusations against Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, a claim Israel refutes. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously referred to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “the butcher of Gaza,” going so far as to imply that the extent of his war crimes exceeded those perpetrated by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
In 2023, Türkiye withdrew its ambassador from Israel, and subsequently, in 2024, it cut off all diplomatic relations.