Ankara- Turkiye has announced a complete halt to trade and economic relations with Israel, along with restrictions on air and sea access, in response to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told parliament on Friday that Turkiye has shut its ports to Israeli ships and barred Turkish-flagged vessels from entering Israeli ports. He also said Israeli flights carrying weapons or ammunition are banned from Turkish airspace, while container ships with military cargo are no longer allowed to dock at Turkish ports.

Meanwhile, commercial carriers can still transit, but port authorities now require shipping agents to confirm that vessels have no Israeli links and are not transporting arms or hazardous goods.

An Israeli official told that Ankara had previously announced similar restrictions, but trade continued despite earlier bans.

Relations between Turkiye and Israel have sharply worsened since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023. Ankara accuses Israel of genocide, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “the butcher of Gaza,” comparing his actions to those of Adolf Hitler, a charge Israel rejects.