Turkey has formally ended its economic ties with Israel, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced during a Gaza-focused session of the Turkish Grand National Assembly on Friday.
“We have completely cut off our trade with Israel. We do not allow Turkish ships to go to Israeli ports, nor do we allow Israeli aircraft to enter our airspace,” Fidan declared, according to state media reports.
The minister accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza for the past two years, saying its actions trample on fundamental human values. He warned that proposals to deport Palestinians from the enclave are “null and void,” and cautioned that Israel’s continuing military operations could inflame the entire region.
Fidan described the suffering in Gaza as one of the darkest chapters in human history, adding that Palestinian resistance has become a symbol of the oppressed and a force capable of reshaping the global order.
Turkey and Israel’s relationship has long swung between cooperation and tension. The two countries first established diplomatic ties in 1949 and later developed strong military and trade partnerships in the 1990s. But friction over Israel’s treatment of Palestinians has repeatedly strained the relationship, with Friday’s announcement marking one of the sharpest breaks in decades.
