Türkiye Officially Severs All Trade Ties with Israel

2025-08-31 03:03:37

(MENAFN) Türkiye has officially ended all commercial and economic relations with Israel and closed its airspace to certain Israeli flights, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan declared on Friday. The move escalates tensions between the two nations, fueled by Türkiye’s accusations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza amid ongoing military operations.

Speaking to the national parliament, Fidan stated that Türkiye has “completely cut off our trade with Israel” and confirmed that Türkiye has “closed our ports to Israeli ships.” He further clarified, “We are not allowing container ships carrying weapons and ammunition to Israel to enter our ports, and airplanes to go into our airspace.”

The minister added that Turkish-flagged vessels are prohibited from docking at Israeli ports, while Israeli ships are barred from Turkish harbors. A Turkish diplomatic source told media that flight restrictions specifically target official Israeli flights and those transporting weapons or ammunition, leaving routine commercial flights unaffected.

Media also revealed that Turkish port authorities are now informally requiring shipping agents to certify that vessels have no links to Israel and are not carrying military or hazardous cargo destined for the country.

In contrast, an Israeli official told media that Türkiye had “already announced severing economic relations with Israel in the past, and the relations continued,” apparently referencing Ankara’s previous suspension of trade in May.

This development marks the latest deterioration in Türkiye-Israel relations, which have been frayed by the Gaza conflict following Hamas’s surprise October 2023 attack on Israel. The Israeli military responded with an extensive operation against the Palestinian territory.

Türkiye has repeatedly accused Israel of genocide in Gaza—a claim Israel denies. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “the butcher of Gaza” and controversially suggested his alleged war crimes surpass those of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

In 2023, Türkiye recalled its ambassador from Israel, and by 2024, it cut off all diplomatic ties, deepening the rift between the former regional partners.

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