The move sparked diplomatic tensions between Israel and Azerbaijan, with Azerbaijani officials expressing dissatisfaction over the explanation provided by Herzog’s office, which cited "security reasons." However, no specific security threats were reported in Azerbaijan, and the Israeli government later clarified that the cancellation was solely due to the airspace issue.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Herzog’s visit was initially delayed when Turkey blocked his flight from passing through its skies. Azerbaijani officials made it clear that the real reason for the cancellation was Turkey’s refusal to allow the flyover, with one senior official from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs telling *Caliber* that there were no security concerns in Azerbaijan itself.
Turkey prevented Israeli President Isaac Herzog from attending the COP29 summit in Baku earlier this week (held from November 12-13) by denying permission for his aircraft to fly over Turkish airspace, official Turkish sources confirmed to Al-Monitor on Sunday.
Of the two main flight routes from Israel to Baku, one involves flying over Iran, while the other requires passing through Turkish airspace. Herzog had been scheduled to lead the Israeli delegation at the summit, but his visit was cancelled earlier this month, with Israel citing "security reasons" for the change in plans. Despite the cancellation, other members of the Israeli delegation, including ministers for environmental protection, energy, and transportation, travelled to Baku. It is unclear which flight route they used, but charter flights between Tel Aviv and Baku continue to operate as normal.
Azerbaijani officials made unsuccessful attempts to secure Turkey's approval for the flight, according to Azerbaijani media.
This incident comes amid growing tensions between Israel and Turkey. In March 2022, Herzog became the first Israeli president to visit Turkey since 2007, marking a brief period of warming relations between the two countries after years of strained ties over the Palestinian issue. However, relations have since deteriorated, particularly following the outbreak of the Hamas-Israel conflict in October 2023.
Now, amid reports that Hamas leaders have relocated to Turkey, it comes as no surprise that an Israeli official would be denied to enter their airspace. It is indeed no coincident that shortly before the Hamas leadership move, Erdogan pipes up that he has cut all ties with Israel and now denies them to enter Turkish airspace. This leads one to wonder what the next move of either of the countries will be.