ANKARA: Turkey has blocked NATO-Israel cooperation over the Gaza war since October, saying the alliance should not deal with Israel as a partner until the conflict ends, sources familiar with the process said.
Israel has the status of a NATO partner and maintains close relations with the military alliance and some of its members, especially its biggest ally the US.
Ahead of Israel's offensive in Gaza – sparked by Hamas' rampage on October 7 – NATO member Turkey has been working to mend its long-strained relationship with Israel.
Since then, Ankara has sharply criticized Israel's operation in Gaza, which it says amounts to genocide, and has halted all bilateral trade.
She also criticized many Western allies for their support of Israel.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Turkiye had vetoed all NATO engagement with Israel since October, including joint meetings and exercises, viewing Israel's “massacre” of Palestinians in Gaza as a violation of NATO's core principles.
A UN investigation in June found that both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes in the early stages of the Gaza war.
It stated that Israel's actions constituted crimes against humanity due to the massive civilian casualties. Israel denies this and says its operation in Gaza, which has killed nearly 40,000 people, is aimed at rooting out Hamas.
The sources said that Turkey will maintain this bloc and not allow Israel to continue or develop its interaction with NATO until the conflict ends, as it believes that Israel's actions in Gaza violate international law and universal human rights.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said after the NATO summit in Washington in July that it was impossible for NATO to continue its partnership with the Israeli administration.
Earlier this week, Israel's foreign minister urged the alliance to expel Turkiye after Erdogan appeared to threaten to enter Israel, as he had done in the past with Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Erdogan condemned the “treasonous murder” in Tehran of his close ally and “brother” Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas.
“May God have mercy on my brother Ismail Haniyeh, martyred after this heinous attack,” Erdogan wrote on the X social network, condemning “Zionist barbarism.”
“The aim of this shameful act is to sabotage the Palestinian cause, the glorious resistance in Gaza and the just struggle of our Palestinian brothers and to intimidate the Palestinians,” Erdogan added.
Thousands of protesters marched after evening prayers in Istanbul to condemn the murder, many waving Turkish and Palestinian flags and chanting slogans hostile to Israel, while an Israeli flag was burned.
“I am here because Israel martyred a representative of the Palestinian people,” said 44-year-old protester Mehmet.
“Great powers play an important role. If he does not prevent these massacres… history will accuse us of having to watch.”
