Turkey Severs Trade, Closes Airspace to Israel Over Gaza

Turkey has officially severed all economic and trade relations with Israel and closed its airspace to Israeli aircraft, in response to Israel's military campaign in Gaza and broader regional tensions. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described Israel's actions as attempts to make Gaza uninhabitable and accused Israel of undermining regional stability, including efforts to prevent a strong Syria. The closure of Turkish airspace forces Israeli flights to take longer routes, impacting travel times to destinations like Georgia and Azerbaijan. Turkish port authorities have also tightened shipping regulations, requiring declarations that vessels are not linked to Israel or carrying military cargo, although no official circular has been issued. This escalation follows Turkey’s previous trade suspension with Israel and coincides with a major UN initiative supported by Turkey to halt arms shipments fueling Israel's military operations. The move further intensifies the diplomatic rift between the two nations amid ongoing violence and geopolitical instability in the Middle East.