ANKARA – Turkey has announced a series of new restrictions on Israel, including banning Israeli ships from its ports, forbidding Turkish vessels from docking at Israeli ports, and limiting airspace access for certain flights, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday.
Addressing an extraordinary parliamentary session on Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza, Fidan said Ankara had “totally cut trade with Israel” and was tightening restrictions in protest of what Turkey describes as “genocide” in the Palestinian enclave. Israel denies the accusation.
“We have closed our ports to Israeli ships and prohibited Turkish vessels from calling at Israel’s ports. We are not allowing container ships carrying weapons and ammunition to Israel to enter our ports, and airplanes to go into our airspace,” Fidan stated.
Diplomatic sources later clarified that the restrictions apply specifically to Israeli government flights and flights carrying weapons or ammunition, but not to regular commercial transit flights.
Turkey has already halted all bilateral trade with Israel and has pressed the international community to adopt measures against Tel Aviv. Reports earlier this month suggested Turkish port authorities had begun informally requiring shipping agents to declare that vessels were not linked to Israel or carrying hazardous cargo bound for the country.
Fidan also revealed that Turkey had secured presidential approval to conduct air drops of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“Our planes are ready. Once Jordan gives its approval, we will be in a position to go,” he told lawmakers.
Israel’s government has not yet commented on Turkey’s latest measures.
