Turkiye blocks Israeli president's flight to COP29 in Azerbaijan

ANKARA - Turkiye has denied Israeli President Isaac Herzog's airplane access to Turkish airspace on his way to Azerbaijan, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported on Sunday.

The Israeli government had requested permission for Herzog's plane to use Turkish airspace en route to the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Baku, which kicked off on Nov 11. However, Turkish authorities rejected the request, Anadolu reported, citing an anonymous Turkish official.

Herzog canceled his visit to Azerbaijan on Saturday due to "security considerations", the Times of Israel reported.

Relations between Turkiye and Israel have been strained since 2010, largely over the Palestinian issue, and it took more than a decade for the two countries to normalize ties.

While political interactions had started to improve before the Gaza conflict, the ongoing crisis has reignited tensions, with both sides trading accusations. Turkiye has also suspended all trade with Israel amid the hostilities.