Full coverage· Security· Updated 14:47

Herzog Flies Turkish Airspace Ban Via Azerbaijan Airlines

President Isaac Herzog flew to Baku, Azerbaijan, on a commercial Azerbaijani airline to bypass Turkey's ban on Israeli government aircraft. The flight, operated by AZAL, departed Tel Aviv on Wednesday and landed on Thursday, passing through Turkish airspace without incident.

3 newsrooms · 2 languages · since 10:59

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What happened

01President Isaac Herzog flew to Baku on a commercial AZAL flight to bypass Turkey's ban on Israeli government aircraft.
02The flight departed Tel Aviv on Wednesday and passed through Turkish airspace without incident, landing in Baku on Thursday.
03Herzog's team rejected an alternative route over the Black Sea due to security concerns stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war.
04The official Israeli government plane, Knaf Zion, was unavailable for the trip as it is currently undergoing maintenance.
05Representatives from Iran, Pakistan, and the Palestinian Authority walked out of the CICA summit during Herzog's speech.
06According to Middle East Eye, Azerbaijan did not notify Turkish authorities that Herzog was traveling on the civilian flight.
07The Emir of Qatar remained in the hall during Herzog's address, despite the walkout by other Muslim and Arab delegations.

Herzog's team opted for the commercial flight because the official government plane, Knaf Zion, is undergoing maintenance. They chose the route through Turkish airspace over an alternative path through Greece, Bulgaria, and the Black Sea due to security concerns related to the Russia-Ukraine war and attacks on vessels in the Black Sea region.

Herzog is in Baku to attend the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) summit. During his speech at the conference, representatives from Iran, Pakistan, and the Palestinian Authority walked out of the hall, while the Emir of Qatar remained in his seat.

While Turkey has prohibited Israeli government aircraft from using its airspace, civilian flights to and from Tel Aviv remain unaffected. According to a Turkish source cited by Middle East Eye, Azerbaijan did not inform Ankara that the Israeli president was on board the civilian flight.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated 15:16

Latest report: Hamal. Read Hamal’s original