By:  Fern Sidman

In a move that underscores the rapid deterioration of bilateral relations, Turkey announced Thursday that it is severing all economic and trade ties with Israel, a sweeping decision Ankara has framed as a direct response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. According to a report that appeared on Friday on Israel National News (INN), Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed that the suspension would cover all commercial exchanges, along with the closure of Turkish airspace to Israeli aircraft.

The announcement, delivered in a nationally televised address, represents the most significant escalation in Turkish-Israeli relations since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recalled his ambassador in the early weeks of the Gaza war. Though Ankara has previously curtailed diplomatic and military cooperation with Israel, the suspension of economic ties represents a profound rupture, with potentially far-reaching consequences for both countries’ trade and for the broader region.

Foreign Minister Fidan did not mince words in his statement, accusing Israel of committing what he called “massacres” against Palestinians in Gaza and alleging that Jerusalem’s policies are deliberately rendering the enclave “uninhabitable.” As INN reported, he went further, charging that Israel has obstructed humanitarian aid convoys and ignored international appeals for restraint.

Turkey is cutting ties with Israel not over the Gaza War, but because Netanyahu finally recognises the Armenian Genocide.

A genocide which actually happened and was an inspiration to Hitler when he planned the Holocaust.

Erdogan is insane. pic.twitter.com/qx6bZotnhq

— 𝐍𝐢𝐨𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐠 ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) August 29, 2025

“Israel’s ongoing attacks against civilians and its deliberate effort to prevent the delivery of aid endanger not only Gaza but the stability of the entire region,” Fidan said. He added that Turkey would coordinate with regional partners, particularly Qatar and Egypt, to continue addressing the crisis.

This rhetoric builds on months of fiery denunciations from President Erdoğan, who has described Israeli military operations as “state terrorism” and positioned Turkey as a leading voice in the Muslim world demanding accountability for Israel’s actions.

While Thursday’s decision is dramatic, it does not emerge in a vacuum. As INN has often noted, Turkish-Israeli relations have been volatile for more than a decade. Once close allies with extensive defense, intelligence, and trade cooperation, the two countries saw relations plummet after the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, when Israeli commandos clashed with pro-Palestinian activists on a Turkish ship attempting to break the blockade of Gaza.

Although ties had warmed somewhat in recent years—most notably with energy and tourism agreements—those fragile gains have now been erased. Erdoğan recalled Turkey’s ambassador to Israel in late 2023, shortly after the October 7 Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel that killed over 1,200 Israelis. Since then, Turkey has taken the lead in pressuring international bodies to sanction Israel and has openly championed the Hamas narrative in global forums.

The suspension of trade represents a significant blow to bilateral commerce. Turkey has historically been one of Israel’s top regional trading partners, with billions of dollars in goods exchanged annually. Israeli imports from Turkey have ranged from construction materials and textiles to industrial products and foodstuffs. Conversely, Israel exports high-tech goods, chemicals, and agricultural products to Turkey.

Why don’t any of the “End the Occupation” anti-Israel lunatics ever speak about Turkey’s occupation of Cyprus? pic.twitter.com/4H8I4ZIe7T

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) August 19, 2025

According to the information provided in the INN report, Israeli officials were already bracing for disruptions in supply chains after reports earlier this year that Turkish authorities were delaying or obstructing shipments bound for Israel. Thursday’s blanket suspension formalizes those measures, cutting off a vital trade artery and forcing Israeli businesses to seek alternative suppliers in Europe and Asia.

For Turkey, however, the economic impact may also be substantial. While Erdoğan and Fidan frame the decision as a principled stand, analysts cited by INN caution that Turkish exporters—already strained by inflation and currency instability—stand to lose lucrative markets in Israel. “This is a double-edged sword,” one Israeli economist told INN. “Turkish rhetoric may play well politically, but it risks hurting its own economy at a time of acute domestic vulnerability.”

The Israeli government has yet to release a formal statement in response to Ankara’s announcement. However, sources in Jerusalem told INN that Israel was not surprised by the decision, viewing it as the culmination of months of mounting hostility from Erdoğan’s government.

“Turkey has chosen to side with Hamas and against Israel,” one senior Israeli official told INN. “This is a political decision, not an economic one, designed to inflame sentiment against Israel and distract from Turkey’s internal problems.”

Israeli commentators stressed that while the loss of Turkish trade is unwelcome, Israel is not without alternatives. Some suggested that Jerusalem may now deepen its economic ties with Greece and Cyprus—countries that have grown closer to Israel in recent years amid tensions with Ankara.

So Turkey have decided to sever all ties with Israel and shut down their airspace to our airlines. They continue to make threats against Israel and want to destroy our country.

Perhaps Turkey should remember what happened the last time their ministers threatened Israel. Allah… pic.twitter.com/fQE1kYypjr

— Cheryl E 🇮🇱🎗️ (@CherylWroteIt) August 29, 2025

The Turkish move is likely to reverberate far beyond the bilateral sphere. As the INN report highlighted, the suspension comes at a moment when Israel faces increasing diplomatic pressure in Europe and the Middle East. Several European governments have restricted or suspended arms sales to Israel, while in the Arab world, protests over Gaza have put pressure on governments that had recently normalized relations with Jerusalem under the Abraham Accords.

By severing trade ties, Turkey seeks to position itself as a leader of regional opposition to Israel’s policies, particularly in Gaza. Analysts quoted by INN argue that Ankara aims to strengthen its standing in the Muslim world and among Western critics of Israel, while simultaneously deflecting attention from Turkey’s domestic economic struggles.

Yet whether this gamble will pay off remains uncertain. While Qatar and Egypt continue to play pivotal roles in ceasefire negotiations and humanitarian efforts, both countries have carefully balanced their rhetoric against Israel with pragmatic engagement. Turkey’s uncompromising approach could complicate its relations not only with Israel but also with Washington and European capitals, where Erdoğan’s increasingly authoritarian policies have already strained trust.

For Israel, Ankara’s decision is part of what officials describe as a broader campaign of delegitimization driven by Hamas allies and sympathizers. Israel National News has repeatedly documented how Turkey has offered safe haven to Hamas operatives, allowed pro-Hamas rallies in Istanbul, and amplified anti-Israel propaganda through state-controlled media.

“Turkey has moved from being a challenging partner to being openly hostile,” one Israeli security analyst told INN. “This is no longer about policy disagreements. It’s about Turkey aligning itself with forces that actively support Hamas’s agenda.”

The next steps remain unclear. Ankara insists that the suspension will remain in place until Israel alters its conduct in Gaza—an outcome Israel is unlikely to accept under conditions dictated by Erdoğan. For now, the rupture represents a symbolic and substantive victory for Hamas and its allies, even as Israel presses ahead with military operations to dismantle the group’s infrastructure.

As the INN report observed, the episode also draws attention to the increasingly polarized international landscape confronting Israel. Where once it could count on at least pragmatic engagement from Turkey, it now faces a government willing to sacrifice economic cooperation to score political points against Jerusalem.

Turkey’s suspension of trade with Israel marks a new nadir in an already fraught relationship, one that reflects both Ankara’s ideological posture and its domestic political calculations. While the immediate economic impact will be felt on both sides, the broader significance lies in Turkey’s attempt to spearhead international pressure on Israel during a time of war.

As the INN report emphasized, Israel remains determined to defend its citizens and secure its national interests regardless of Ankara’s actions. Yet the episode highlights the growing diplomatic isolation Israel faces in some quarters—and the determination of adversaries to leverage every possible tool, from boycotts to political rhetoric, to weaken Jerusalem’s resolve.

In the end, however, Israel’s leaders are unlikely to be swayed by Erdoğan’s maneuvers. As one official told INN, “Our duty is to protect Israel’s people, not to placate those who support our enemies.”

Turkey’s Fractured Relations With Israel — and Why Ankara Endangers the West

The announcement that Turkey is severing all economic and trade relations with Israel is not an isolated act of protest. It is the culmination of a decades-long pattern in which Ankara has veered between uneasy partnership and open hostility, while simultaneously carving out a reputation as a destabilizing actor toward the West itself.

As Israel National News (INN) frequently points out, Turkey’s hostility toward Israel is not only ideological but strategic — positioning itself as the champion of Hamas and Islamist movements across the region. To fully understand the gravity of Ankara’s decision, one must examine both the turbulent history of Turkish–Israeli ties and the broader danger Turkey poses to Europe, NATO, and the United States.

Turkey was the first Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel in 1949. During the Cold War, their relationship was pragmatic: both nations shared concerns about Soviet influence, and Turkey’s membership in NATO gave Israel an indirect ally in a hostile region. Cooperation on intelligence and limited trade provided a degree of stability, though Ankara always balanced ties to Israel with its obligations to Arab partners.

The 1990s brought what observers often call the “golden era” of Turkish–Israeli relations. Joint military exercises, intelligence cooperation, and burgeoning trade tied the two countries together. The Oslo Accords offered a hopeful backdrop, and Turkey became one of Israel’s few regional partners. At the same time, this closeness helped solidify Turkey’s credentials in Washington as a key NATO ally deserving of U.S. military aid and economic support.

The election of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his AKP party in the early 2000s marked a watershed moment. Almost immediately, the tone toward Israel hardened. Public criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon became central to Erdoğan’s political rhetoric. The Mavi Marmara crisis of 2010, in which nine Turkish activists were killed after Israeli commandos intercepted a flotilla bound for Gaza, caused an unprecedented rupture: ambassadors were expelled, military ties suspended, and Ankara’s stance shifted from cautious ally to outspoken adversary.

As INN has repeatedly reported, Ankara’s posture toward Hamas has been particularly alarming. Turkey has hosted Hamas officials openly, allowed its financial networks to operate on Turkish soil, and offered political cover for Hamas’ campaigns against Israel. Erdoğan has even framed Hamas fighters as “freedom fighters,” in direct defiance of the U.S., the EU, and NATO allies who list Hamas as a terrorist organization.

This support has deepened since the October 7, 2023 massacre, when Hamas terrorists slaughtered over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped hundreds. Instead of condemning the atrocities, Erdoğan accused Israel of “genocide” and withdrew Turkey’s ambassador, doubling down on Ankara’s role as the most prominent state backer of Hamas outside Iran and Qatar.

While Ankara’s hostility toward Israel garners headlines, Turkey’s broader role as a destabilizing force against the West and the United States is just as concerning.

Turkey has repeatedly used migration as a political weapon. By opening its borders to waves of migrants — many of them radicalized or susceptible to extremist ideologies — Ankara has deliberately pressured European states, particularly during moments of diplomatic disagreement. European leaders have accused Erdoğan of “blackmail” by threatening to release millions of refugees into EU territory unless Ankara’s demands are met. The result has been the flooding of European cities with large numbers of migrants who strain social services, heighten security concerns, and fuel extremist recruitment networks.

Turkey holds the dubious distinction of jailing more journalists than any other country in the world. According to watchdog groups, hundreds of journalists have been arrested under Erdoğan’s regime, often under vague charges of “terrorism” or “insulting the president.” Reports of torture, abuse, and prolonged pre-trial detention have circulated widely, making Turkey not only an enemy of press freedom but also a serial violator of human rights. Western diplomats have repeatedly condemned Ankara’s assault on free expression, but Erdoğan has shown no intention of reversing course.

Although Turkey remains a member of NATO, its behavior increasingly betrays the spirit of the alliance. Ankara has purchased advanced Russian air defense systems (the S-400), jeopardizing NATO security protocols and undermining U.S. defense technology. Turkey has obstructed NATO expansion efforts, leveraging its veto power to delay Sweden and Finland’s accession until its own unrelated demands were met. Military analysts note that such actions effectively weaken NATO’s deterrence posture against Russia at a critical time.

For Washington, Turkey’s unreliability poses acute challenges. While U.S. forces rely on Turkish bases like Incirlik for regional operations, Erdoğan has repeatedly used this leverage to extract concessions. Turkey has also courted closer ties with Moscow and Tehran, blurring the lines between NATO member and adversary. As INN and Western commentators alike have observed, Ankara’s behavior reveals a fundamental misalignment with U.S. and allied interests, raising the question of whether Turkey can truly be counted as a loyal partner.

Beyond geopolitical maneuvering, Erdoğan’s rhetoric often veers into open antisemitism. Turkish officials and state-controlled media routinely accuse Israel of committing “crimes against humanity,” while domestic crackdowns on pro-Israel voices and Jewish citizens in Turkey have created a climate of fear. These patterns, highlighted by Israel National News, align Turkey with some of the world’s most virulent anti-Israel regimes and further isolate it from democratic allies.

The complete suspension of economic and trade ties with Israel in 2025 reflects the culmination of this long arc. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s announcement that Turkey is shutting its airspace to Israeli aircraft and suspending all commercial exchanges underscores how deeply Ankara is entrenching itself as a partisan actor in favor of Hamas and other extremist groups.

Israeli leaders have denounced the move as short-sighted and dangerous, noting that it “plays into the hands of extremists” and undermines regional stability. Analysts told INN that the decision will likely hurt Turkey economically, given that bilateral trade with Israel has historically brought in billions annually, particularly in textiles, construction materials, and food exports. Yet Ankara appears willing to sacrifice economic growth for ideological grandstanding.

For Israel, the rupture with Turkey removes any pretense of partnership and clarifies Ankara’s role as an antagonist in the broader Middle East conflict. For the West, the episode reinforces longstanding concerns: Turkey under Erdoğan is less a reliable NATO partner than a rogue actor, weaponizing migrants, crushing dissent, supporting terrorist organizations, and undermining regional stability.