Turkey has announced the closure of its airspace to Israeli flights and the complete suspension of trade relations with Israel, in a sharp escalation of its stance over the Gaza war. The announcement was made by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during an emergency session of the Grand National Assembly dedicated to the situation in Gaza.
According to Turkish media, the extraordinary session was convened on Thursday at the request of the main opposition and on the initiative of the Assembly’s Speaker, Numan Kurtulmuş, in order to debate the worsening humanitarian crisis in the enclave.
Briefing lawmakers on the latest developments, Fidan outlined a set of strict new measures adopted by Ankara. “We have fully suspended our trade relations with Israel. We do not allow Turkish ships to call at Israeli ports, and we do not permit Israeli aircraft to enter our airspace,” the foreign minister declared.
Fidan accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of practising “state terrorism” and of “using hunger as a weapon” in Gaza. He stressed that Turkey rejects any plan to displace Palestinians from their lands. “Such a plan, wherever it originates, is null and void for us,” he said.
For his part, Assembly Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş described Israel’s actions as “war crimes” and “genocide.” He proposed suspending Israel’s membership in international organisations, including the United Nations, until it complies with international law. “The Palestinian cause is a national issue for us,” Kurtulmuş emphasised.
During his speech, Fidan also argued that the international system established after the Second World War had failed and was facing a crisis of legitimacy. He linked recent decisions by several Western countries to recognise the Palestinian state to Turkey’s diplomatic initiatives, repeating Ankara’s position that “the two-state solution is the only way forward.”
With information from CNA