Turkey blocks NATO cooperation wtih Israel over Gaza war

Turkey has blocked NATO’s cooperation with Israel since October due to the ongoing war in Gaza. Turkey has demanded that NATO halt its engagement with Israel until the conflict is resolved, reported by Reuters.

Israel, which holds NATO partner status, has had close relations with the alliance and its key members, particularly the United States. However, Turkey’s move has strained these ties.

Before the recent conflict in Gaza, Turkey was working to improve its historically tense relationship with Israel. However, Turkey has since criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide and halted all bilateral trade.

Turkey has condemned many Western allies for their support of Israel and has vetoed all NATO engagements with Israel, including joint meetings and exercises. It views Israel’s actions as a violation of NATO’s founding principles.

A U.N. inquiry from June found both Israel and Hamas guilty of war crimes, with Israel’s actions deemed crimes against humanity due to high civilian casualties. Israel disputes these findings and argues that its operations are aimed at eliminating Hamas.

Turkey plans to maintain its block on NATO-Israel relations until the Gaza conflict ends, citing violations of international law and human rights by Israel.

Following a NATO summit in Washington in July, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared that NATO should not continue its partnership with the Israeli government.

meanwhile, the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas’s political bureau, has intensified tensions in the Middle East. This escalation is contributing to the deepening rift between Turkey and Israel, further complicating international relations and impacting regional stability.

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