Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan boasted on Tuesday of the fact that Turkey had denied President Isaac Herzog permission to use its airspace to travel to the COP climate summit in Azerbaijan earlier this week.
"We did not allow the Israeli president to use our airspace to attend the COP summit. We suggested alternative routes and other options," Erdogan stated while speaking to reporters during the G20 Summit in Brazil, as quoted by Reuters.
Herzog ultimately canceled his planned visit due to what was described by his office as security reasons.
Commenting further on the situation, Erdogan said of Herzog's canceled visit, "But whether he was able to go or not, I honestly don't know."
He added, "On certain matters, as Turkey, we are compelled to take a stand, and we will continue to do so."
Erdogan’s actions highlight the ongoing tensions between Israel and Turkey. The two countries were headed towards reconciliation before Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, but Erdogan has resumed his frequent verbal attacks on Israel since that time.
In one speech, the Turkish President said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “committed one of the greatest atrocities of this century in Gaza and has already put his name down in history as the butcher of Gaza."
In July, Erdogan threatened to invade Israel, saying, "We must be strong so Israel won't be able to do these things to the Palestinians. Just as we entered Karabakh and Libya, we will do the same to Israel. There's nothing left to do, we must be strong."
He then continued to lash out at Israel, claiming that it "committed acts of barbarism" and that "Gaza has become the world's largest concentration camp."
Two weeks ago, Turkey submitted a letter to the United Nations, endorsed by 52 countries and two organizations, urging a halt to arms deliveries to Israel.