Turkey blocks airspace to Israeli president en route to summit
Ankara did not agree to allow the flight carrying Israeli President Isaac Herzog through its airspace to the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan.
Turkey refused to permit the flight with Israeli President Isaac Herzog through its airspace, which prevented his participation in the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan.
This information was reported by Bloomberg and confirmed by the Anadolu Agency, citing government sources in Ankara.
Turkey's decision is related to tensions stemming from the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Ankara closed the "shortest and safest route" Herzog could have taken to reach Baku.
On Saturday, the Israeli president's office announced the cancellation of his participation in the summit for "security reasons". Herzog had planned to travel to Azerbaijan after visiting the U.S., but fears of attacks by Iran were too great.
The Israeli service Caliber reported that Turkey did not open its airspace for Herzog's plane despite diplomatic efforts. However, Israeli ministers of environmental protection, energy, and transportation attended the summit in Baku.
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has long criticized Israel's military operations in the region, and in May, Turkey suspended trade with Israel.
Ankara's decision to close its airspace to the Israeli president is another example of the tense relations between these countries. The situation demonstrates how political conflicts, such as the COP29 climate summit, can impact international events.
