Turkey has cut off all relations with Israel, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday.
“The government of the Republic of Turkey, under the leadership of Tayyip Erdogan, will not continue or develop relations with Israel,” Erdogan said during his plane journey back to Turkey after Saudi Arabia visit, adding that his ruling coalition would stand firm in its decision.
It should be noted that Ankara maintains diplomatic relations with Israel despite imposing a trade embargo on Israel in May. Turkish diplomatic missions in Tel Aviv remain in operation despite the fact that Turkish government has formally recalled its ambassador last year.
In response, Israel, citing security reasons, evacuated its embassy in Ankara last year.
Moreover, Erdogan said that Turkey would do every effort to hold Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for his actions in Gaza, which have been characterized as genocide by international human rights organizations.
At the International Court of Justice (ICJ) earlier this year, Turkey supported Palestine in a genocide case against Israel and pushed for an arms embargo against Tel Aviv.
