August 30, 2025

Turkey's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, made a bold announcement that’s shaking the region! He said Turkey has closed its ports to Israeli ships and blocked Israeli planes from entering Turkish airspace. This strong move comes as tension escalates from the ongoing Gaza war. Ankara accuses Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza – a shocking claim that Israel firmly rejects. “We have closed our ports to Israeli ships. We do not allow Turkish ships to go to Israeli ports,” Fidan told lawmakers live on TV. He added, “We do not allow container ships carrying weapons and ammunition to Israel to enter our ports, nor do we allow their aircraft to enter our airspace.” This ban also targets all "official" Israeli flights and any aircraft carrying weapons. The crackdown is serious and has been in motion for some time. For example, back in November, Turkey stopped the Israeli president’s plane from crossing its skies, forcing him to cancel a planned visit to a climate conference in Azerbaijan. And in May, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had to cancel his trip to Baku because Ankara reportedly refused overflight permissions. Trade ties between the two countries were already cut last year in May, after Turkey accused Israel of wrongdoing in Gaza. On August 22, new regulations came in that prevent Israeli-related vessels from docking in Turkish ports. ZIM, Israel’s biggest shipping company, warned this could hurt its business finances and operations. They also stated that ships carrying military cargo to Israel cannot use Turkish ports, and Turkish-flagged vessels are banned from Israeli ports. “No other country has cut off trade with Israel,” Fidan stressed during an emergency parliamentary session focused on the Gaza crisis. Turkey says there will be no return to normal relations while the war in Gaza goes on. However, some Turkish opposition members say that trade hasn’t fully stopped, especially with oil shipments from Azerbaijan passing through a pipeline crossing Turkey. Turkish energy officials deny this, calling such claims "completely unfounded." Interestingly, Israel's Haaretz newspaper noted that recent customs data from Azerbaijan no longer list Israel as an oil buyer from Baku, which is one of Israel’s main suppliers. This sharp turn in Turkey-Israel relations signals a tense, new chapter. The ports are closed, airspace sealed, and trade nearly wiped out — as Turkey takes a strong stand in the Gaza war drama.

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Tags: Turkey, Israel, Gaza war, Ports closure, Airspace ban, Trade suspension,