Turkey rejects airspace access for Israeli leader's aircraft

Ankara (ANTARA) - Turkey has rejected access to its airspace for the aircraft carrying Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who is heading to Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, as reported by the civil aviation news site HavasosyalMedya on Tuesday.

The regular flight route passes through Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, but after being rerouted via Europe and Russia, the flight time from Tel Aviv to Astana has been extended to eight hours.

Turkey’s airspace is currently closed to Israeli officials and aircraft carrying weapons.

The airspace remains open for commercial flights operated by third-country airlines, while Israeli airlines can use it for transit, a diplomatic source in Ankara told RIA Novosti.

Turkey severed diplomatic relations with Israel since the start of the military operation in the Gaza Strip. Communications between the two countries are limited to emergency security contacts.