ANKARA: In response to the ongoing escalation in Gaza, Turkey announced significant diplomatic and economic measures against Israel as closed airspace and ends economic relations with Israel.
Minister Hakan Fidan revealed to parliament on Friday that Ankara has decided to sever all economic and trade connections with Israel and has closed its airspace to Israeli aircraft.Fidan explained that these steps are part of Turkey’s broader protests against Israel’s military operations in Gaza. However, he also noted that Turkey had already implemented an economic blockade earlier in the year, and his comments regarding airspace restrictions appeared to reaffirm existing policies rather than introduce new ones.
Despite Turkey’s announcement, officials in Israel stated they had not received any formal notification of the airspace closure. Israeli airlines, which often utilize Turkish airspace for routes to Georgia and other destinations, reported no disruptions. Israir, which operated a flight to Batumi on Friday, confirmed that flights were proceeding as scheduled and that they remained in contact with Turkish authorities for updates.
During his speech, Fidan accused Israel of intentionally making Gaza uninhabitable to push its residents to flee. He also claimed that Israel opposes the emergence of a strong, independent Syria and vowed that Turkey would oppose such efforts
