Herzog Attends Summit in Baku, Representatives of Iran, Turkey, Pakistan Walk Out During His Speech

Israeli President Isaac Herzog traveled to Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday to attend an international conference, reportedly flying on Azerbaijan Airlines to circumvent a Turkish ban on Israeli government aircraft using its airspace. According to Middle East Eye, Herzog's flight, AZAL J222, departed Tel Aviv and transited Turkish airspace before landing in Baku. Images and flight data confirm the use of an AZAL Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Herzog's office declined to comment on the flight details.

This incident follows a previous occasion in 2024 where Turkey denied Herzog's plane entry, forcing him to cancel a visit to Azerbaijan and take an eight-hour detour to Kazakhstan. The Azerbaijani cooperation in facilitating Herzog's flight highlights close ties between Baku and Jerusalem, as well as growing tensions between Azerbaijan and Turkey, reportedly stemming from Ankara's anger over legislation restricting the hijab in Azerbaijan's education system.

At the CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia) summit in Baku, President Herzog joined leaders and high-ranking representatives from countries without diplomatic ties with Israel, including Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iraq. During his address to the conference, which aims to enhance trust, security, and stability in Asia, representatives from Pakistan, Turkey, Kuwait, Iran, and the Palestinian Authority reportedly left the hall. The Emir of Qatar remained present.

During his visit, President Herzog met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to discuss expanding strategic cooperation in security, energy, and technology, as well as regional stability. He also met with Bahrain's Foreign Minister, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, to reinforce the Abraham Accords. Herzog also met with local Jewish community leaders and visited the Israeli embassy, where he attended the opening of polling stations for Israelis abroad.