Turkey Tightens Ban on Israel Amid Gaza War
ANKARA – Relations between Turkey and Israel have collapsed over the Gaza conflict, with Ankara accusing Israel of committing “genocide” against Palestinians and enforcing sweeping restrictions on trade and airspace access.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told lawmakers in a televised session that Ankara had “closed ports to Israeli ships” and barred Turkish vessels from sailing to Israel. He added that container ships carrying weapons or ammunition to Israel are also denied entry, along with Israeli aircraft.
A diplomatic source later clarified that Turkey’s airspace is closed to all flights carrying weapons bound for Israel, as well as to official Israeli flights. However, it remains unclear when the restrictions were first enforced.
The measures have already disrupted Israeli leaders’ travel. In November, Turkey blocked the Israeli president’s aircraft from using its airspace, forcing him to cancel a planned trip to Azerbaijan’s COP29 climate summit. Similarly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scrapped a May visit to Baku after Ankara reportedly withheld overflight rights.
Trade Severed
On Monday, ZIM, Israel’s largest shipping company, confirmed that Ankara has imposed new regulations banning Israeli-linked vessels from docking at Turkish ports. The company, in a filing to the New York Stock Exchange, warned the decision would hurt its financial and operational performance.
The ban also covers vessels carrying military cargo to Israel, while Turkish-flagged ships are prohibited from entering Israeli ports.
“This is the first time any country has fully cut trade with Israel,” Fidan said, stressing that Turkey will not resume ties while the Gaza war continues.
Opposition Criticism
Despite Ankara’s tough stance, some opposition politicians have accused the government of secretly allowing trade to continue, particularly through oil shipments from Azerbaijan via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Turkey’s energy ministry has dismissed these claims as “completely baseless.”
Israel has long relied on Azerbaijani oil, but recent customs data no longer lists Israel as an official buyer, according to a report by Haaretz.
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