Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan today warned against what he described as Israeli “adventures” in the Mediterranean, stating that Israeli strikes in Syria and Lebanon now threaten Turkey’s security. He asserted that Israel’s actions imperil the entire world and vowed an unequivocal response if the rights of Turks or Turkish-Cypriots are harmed in the Middle East, emphasizing that Turkey’s security extends to Aleppo, Damascus, and Beirut. These statements follow reports of potential joint military force formations between Israel, Greece, and Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Miki Zohar responded forcefully, denouncing Erdoğan’s remarks and his human rights record, while asserting Israel’s commitment to acting against threats from Iran and its proxies.
Read More
Turkey has cut off all economic ties with Israel and closed its airspace to Israeli flights. This drastic measure will significantly impact air travel, potentially adding nearly two hours to flights from Israel to destinations such as Georgia and Azerbaijan. The move follows escalating tensions between the two nations. The Turkish Foreign Minister has not commented on these actions.
Read More
Israel has voiced strong opposition to the potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, fearing it would undermine Israel’s military advantage. This concern stems from escalating tensions between Israel and Turkey, marked by President Erdogan’s increasingly hostile rhetoric. Despite assurances from President Trump, Israel sees a lack of US action to curb Turkey’s antagonism, even as the Trump administration reportedly reconsiders the F-35 sale. This follows previous US suspension of Turkey from the F-35 program under the Biden administration and recent concerning incidents near Syria.
Read More
I woke up this morning to the news that Turkey has decided to halt all trade with Israel. This decision, according to two Turkish officials, comes amidst the escalating tensions between the two nations over the conflict in Gaza. It seems that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is utilizing this move to garner support among conservative voters in Turkey, especially after his party’s recent losses in various mayoral elections.
Trade between Turkey and Israel has been significant, with the two countries having a trade worth $6.8 billion in 2023. The bulk of this trade consisted of Turkish exports to Israel, with iron and steel being the most significant export from Turkey to Israel in 2023.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker