In a dramatic escalation, Turkey has severed all economic and trade relations with Israel and shut its skies to Israeli aircraft, citing the war in Gaza.
Ankara delivered a seismic diplomatic blow on Thursday, announcing that Turkey is cutting all economic and trade ties with Israel in response to the ongoing war in Gaza.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan declared that the sweeping measures include the suspension of all commercial exchanges and the closure of Turkish airspace to Israeli aircraft. The announcement marks one of the harshest steps taken by a regional power against Israel since the start of the conflict.
Fidan accused Israel of carrying out what he called “massacres” in Gaza, claiming that Jerusalem is deliberately rendering the territory uninhabitable while blocking humanitarian aid. He further warned that Israel’s policies are fueling wider regional instability.
The Turkish government framed the move as part of its “moral duty” to respond to what it views as ongoing crimes in Gaza, and pledged to intensify cooperation with Qatar and Egypt to push for humanitarian and political initiatives in the conflict.
The abrupt rupture underscores the widening diplomatic rift in the Middle East as the war in Gaza reverberates across global alliances.
