Israel's President Herzog Travels to Baku on Commercial Flight, Evading Turkish Airspace Ban

Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog arrived in Azerbaijan for a day and a half to attend the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit. The summit includes participants from countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, such as Iran's deputy foreign minister. Herzog's flight to Baku was on a commercial AZAL flight, which passed through Turkish airspace without issue. This allowed him to bypass Turkey's ban on Israeli government aircraft, imposed in 2024, and avoid a longer, potentially less secure route over the Black Sea. His team opted for the commercial flight over an alternative route through Greece, Bulgaria, and the Black Sea due to security concerns amid the Russia-Ukraine war and ongoing attacks on vessels in the region. Israel's official government plane, "Knaf Zion" (Wing of Zion), is currently undergoing maintenance. The President's office declined to comment on the flight details. Previously, Turkish restrictions had impacted Israeli leadership travel, with Benjamin Netanyahu canceling a trip to Baku after "Knaf Zion" was denied passage through Turkish airspace. However, civilian flights to and from Israel are still permitted to fly over Turkey. A Turkish official told Middle East Eye that Azerbaijan did not notify Ankara of Herzog's presence, stating Turkey cannot track passenger lists for every civilian aircraft. The official added that Israel has ceased requesting permission for government plane overflights, aware of Ankara's stance. Before the summit, Herzog met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The summit's attendees also included the Emir of Qatar, deputy foreign ministers of Kuwait, ambassadors from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and the acting foreign minister of Bangladesh. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not attend, sending his foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, instead, possibly due to Herzog's participation. The summit occurs amid disagreements between Ankara and Baku, including Azerbaijan's recent decision to ban headscarves in primary and secondary schools. Attention was also drawn to the name of Herzog's aircraft, "Shusha," linking it to the 2021 defense pact between Turkey and Azerbaijan, with some interpreting its use as a subtle jab at Ankara. On Thursday morning, October 15, Herzog visited the Israeli embassy in Baku to encourage citizens to vote in overseas elections, calling them a "celebration of democracy" and emphasizing that "elections are not a civil war."