Turkey cuts economic ties with Israel, citing Gaza war

Fidan confirmed that the measures extend to a suspension of commercial exchanges and the closure of Turkish airspace to Israeli aircraft.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Turkey announced Thursday that it has ended all economic and trade relations with Israel, saying the move is a direct response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara has also signed onto a UN initiative supported by 52 countries that calls for halting the supply of weapons and ammunition “feeding Israel’s war machine.”

He confirmed that the measures extend to a suspension of commercial exchanges and the closure of Turkish airspace to Israeli aircraft.

The decision marks a sharp escalation in the already strained ties between Ankara and Jerusalem. Turkey had warned in May 2024 that trade would be halted until humanitarian aid was allowed into Gaza without restrictions. Thursday’s announcement formalized that threat.

Economic relations between the two countries had been significant. Under a free-trade agreement signed in 1997, commerce reached nearly $6.8 billion in 2023, according to Turkish government data.

More than three-quarters of that figure represented Turkish exports, including steel, oil, and plastics.

Relations deteriorated sharply after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks, as Turkey aligned itself more closely with Hamas and demanded international intervention to curb Israeli military operations.

Tensions may have deepened further this week after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an interview, publicly recognized the Armenian genocide—something Israel had previously avoided, possibly out of concern for relations with Ankara.

In his remarks, Fidan accused Israel of committing “massacres” in Gaza and of deliberately making the territory uninhabitable.

He charged that humanitarian supplies were being obstructed and warned that Israeli policies threaten broader regional stability.

Fidan said Turkey’s decision reflects a wider policy aimed at countering what it views as crimes in Gaza.

He added that Ankara would continue coordinating with Qatar and Egypt in efforts to manage the crisis.

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