Türkiye breaks trade with Israel. The airspace is closed for El Al aircraft

The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Hakan Fidan said on Friday that his country broke all trade relations with Israel, and also closed his airspace for planes from this country. Türkiye has already banned maritime transport to the Hall of Israel.

Fidan accused Israel of committing genocide on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The minister condemned Israel's attacks on the Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iran zone, calling them signs of “the mentality of the terrorist state, which breaks international order.”

The head of Turkish diplomacy spoke in Ankara at an extraordinary parliamentary session dedicated to the situation in the Gaza Strip. He emphasized that Israel committed crimes there, which are “one of the darkest chapters in human history.”

After the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Zone in the autumn of 2023, Türkiye became one of the most ardent critics of Israel on the international arena. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly accused Israel of committing genocide there. The states reduced the rank of bilateral diplomatic relations.

In May 2024, Türkiye announced complete suspension of trade with Israel. Last week, information appeared that Türkiye also banned reloading goods from Israel in its ports or directed to it.

Before the war, trade between Turkey and Israel had a value of approx. USD 7 billion a year, of which about 75 percent. He was exporting to Israel.

It is not clear whether Fidan's Friday's statement concerns the restrictions already introduced, whether it is a announcement of new ones – commented the Israeli portal Ynet. Turkish and Israeli media informed earlier that the embargo imposed by Ankara is partly bypassed, among others by conducting trade through Greece or Palestinian territories.

The Jerusalem Post portal pointed out that the closing of Turkish airspace for Israeli aircraft would extend flights from Tel Aviv to Georgia or Azerbaijan. YNET added that there is no information about Friday flights from Israel to Georgia.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday in an interview that the Armenian slaughter in the Ottoman Empire during World War I was a genocide. This is not an official position of Israel, but representatives of its authorities have previously avoided such unambiguous declarations. Turkish authorities are protesting against the recognition of this crime as a genocide.

The Israeli press speculated that Netanyahu's statement would contribute to further tightening of tensions with Turkey.

Jerzy Adamiak (PAP)

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