Turkey Cuts All Trade Ties With Israel, Closes Airspace Amid Gaza War

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced Friday that Ankara has decided to fully suspend all economic and trade cooperation with Israel, close Turkish airspace to Israeli aircraft and halt Turkish shipping to Israeli ports.

Fidan said Israel's actions in Gaza“will go down as one of the darkest chapters in human history,” warning that allowing Tel Aviv to continue its“reckless” attacks in Palestine, particularly in Gaza,“will not be confined to Palestinians but will set the entire region ablaze.”

Israeli media reported that Israeli aircraft were still flying over Turkish airspace“without obstacles” as of Friday, with authorities in Israel monitoring the situation and stressing that air traffic was continuing“as normal.”

Fidan reiterated Ankara's rejection of any plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza, calling such proposals“null and void for us.” He accused Israel of“trampling on human values by committing genocide before the eyes of the world for two years.”

The Turkish foreign minister added that Palestinian resistance against Israel would“change the course of history” and serve as a symbol for the oppressed worldwide, saying it would“shake the foundations of a decayed system.” He also stressed that Turkey would not allow any party to exploit Syria's ethnic or sectarian groups in ways that threaten the country's unity.

Fidan remarks came during a special session of the Turkish parliament convened to discuss the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories amid what Ankara describes as Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, its intensifying assaults in the occupied West Bank, and its attacks in Syria.

In response, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted on X a photo of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with former Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, captioned briefly:“Turkey = Hamas.”

Shahar Turgeman, head of Israel's Chamber of Commerce, said bilateral trade previously amounted to“$5 billion in imports to Israel and $1.6 billion in exports.” He criticised Erdogan's move as“contrary to the interests of traders on both sides,” but noted that Israel had already found alternative supply channels last year.“We all hope commercial relations will return to normal soon,” he added.

Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş said Israel's expansion of its occupation in Gaza meant it was“continuing to commit crimes against humanity.” He declared that every action Israel takes in the occupied Palestinian territories constitutes“a violation of international law, a war crime and an act of genocide.”

Kurtulmuş stressed that the Palestinian cause is“a cause of Turkey,” vowing continued support for the Palestinian struggle until“a free and sovereign Palestinian state” is established. He urged swift and concrete steps, including suspending Israel's membership in international organisations, even the United Nations,“until it abandons its genocidal policies.”

He also underlined the need for a unified political structure in Syria that brings together its diverse ethnic and sectarian groups under one framework, ensuring a transition toward democracy where all voices can be heard. He said it was essential to distinguish between Syrian Kurds and the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Kurtulmuş concluded by accusing Israel of viewing the region's peoples“not as human beings but as creatures existing only to serve it.”

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