Turkey severs all trade ties with Israel, closes airspace, Fidan says

Turkey has completely severed all commercial and economic ties with Israel and closed its airspace to Israeli aircraft, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced Friday.

The airspace closure will force Israeli flights to Georgia and Azerbaijan to take longer routes, adding nearly two hours to journey times, according to aviation industry assessments.

“We have severed economic and trade relations with Israel,” Fidan said during a press briefing. “We are closing our airspace to Israeli aircraft.”

Flight diversions to add two hours to regional routes

The restrictions follow reports that Turkish port authorities have begun requiring shipping agents to provide written declarations that vessels are not linked to Israel and carry no military or hazardous cargo destined for the country.

The economic impact of the trade suspension remains unclear, though Turkey and Israel maintained limited commercial relationships compared to Israel’s ties with other regional partners.

Turkish officials have not specified when the measures take effect or outlined potential conditions for their reversal.

Port authorities require non-Israeli cargo declarations

Fidan also addressed broader regional dynamics, stating that “Israel does not want Syria to be a strong country,” though he provided no specific evidence to support this assertion.