Turkey cuts $7 bn trade with Israel, shuts airspace, tightens port checks in major escalation over Gaza war

Turkey has announced a complete suspension of commercial and economic ties with Israel, including a ban on airspace access for Israeli aircraft, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday.

“All trade with Israel has been cut. Turkish ships will no longer call at Israeli ports, and Israeli planes will not be allowed to use Turkish airspace,” Fidan told reporters.

The minister also confirmed that Ankara has joined a major international initiative at the United Nations, alongside 52 other countries, urging a halt to arms and ammunition shipments that, in his words, “fuel Israel’s military operations.”

The escalation comes alongside reports that Turkish port authorities have begun informally requiring shipping agents to submit letters declaring that vessels are not linked to Israel and not carrying military or hazardous cargo bound for the country. According to shipping sources cited by the Jerusalem Post, harbor masters have verbally instructed port agents to provide such written assurances, though no official circular has been issued.

Last year, Ankara severed bilateral trade with Israel, worth about $7 billion annually, in protest against the Gaza war with Hamas. The latest measures mark one of Turkey’s strongest diplomatic and economic responses to date, further straining ties between the two countries.

(This is developing news. More to follow.)