Ankara, June 28: Amid tense relations prompted by Israel’s deadly attack on a Turkish-flagged aid convoy, the government in Ankara takes a step to impose certain restrictive measures against the Israeli military.
“Military planes are required to obtain overflight permission before each flight. One military plane was denied permission immediately after” the May 31 onslaught on the Gaza-bound fleet, AFP quoted a diplomat as saying on Monday.
The diplomat who was speaking on condition of anonymity did not specify whether the decision signaled a total ban on Israeli military flights using Turkish airspace.
There were no restrictions on civilian flights, the diplomat added.
Speaking after the G20 summit in Toronto, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country had closed its airspace to Israel after the attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla.
Israeli media earlier said that a military plane carrying more than 100 Israeli officers to Auschwitz in Poland was denied permission to use Turkish airspace and had to follow an alternate route
Nine Turkish national were killed when the Israeli navy commandos attacked the six-vessel Flotilla in international waters in the Mediterranean.
The move prompted an infuriated Ankara to immediately recall its ambassador to Tel Aviv and scrap plans for three joint military exercises.
Turkey also announced a decision to lower its economic and defense cooperation with Israel to a “minimum level.”
Turkish officials have said Ankara will reconsider diplomatic ties with Israel if it does not take conciliatory steps, including an apology for the killings and compensation for the victims’ families.
——–Agencies