Turkey cuts economic and trade ties with Israel

On Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Israel is committing mass killings against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. He added that Israel’s plans to occupy the entire territory of Gaza continue, and that Israel seeks to eliminate the two-state solution with unlimited support from the United States.

According to Al Jazeera, Fidan emphasized that the international system has failed to fulfill its responsibilities to stop the killings in Gaza. Current developments indicate that Israel is pursuing the occupation of all Palestinian lands. Israel is reportedly using brutal starvation policies against Palestinians in Gaza to force them out. Its goal, he said, is clear: to make Gaza uninhabitable so that its people are compelled to leave.

He added that extremist ministers and settlers are attempting to escalate tensions through raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque, and that Israel does not recognize international law.

Fidan declared: “We have decided to completely sever economic and trade relations with Israel and to close our airspace to its aircraft.”

He stressed that Israel does not want a new, strong Syrian state, but Turkey will not allow these policies to continue.

The senior Turkish diplomat also said that “the ongoing tension between Israel and Iran threatens regional security and stability,” and that Israel continues to try to drag all countries in the region into chaos.

Fidan stated that Israel’s refusal to allow aid into Gaza has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians. He added that Israel’s aggressive policies have extended beyond Gaza to Jerusalem, the West Bank, Syria, Iran, and Lebanon.