It has been reported that Israeli President Isaac Herzog passed through Turkish airspace during his trip to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. It was stated that Herzog used a scheduled Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) flight instead of his official aircraft for his trip to Baku to attend the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA).
According to Middle East Eye, the plane carrying Herzog took off from Tel Aviv at 11:35 and reached Baku at 15:40 local time, using Turkish airspace. The report stated that the aircraft seen in the footage released from the welcoming ceremony in Baku matches the aircraft type in flight records.
Turkey does not grant permission for Israeli officials' official aircraft to use its airspace. Foreign Ministry sources stated that no special permit application was made to Ankara for the flight in question and that no additional permission is required for scheduled civilian flights.
Sources also conveyed that no prior information was given to Turkey regarding Herzog's presence on the plane. It was emphasized that under international civil aviation rules, passenger lists for scheduled flights are not shared with countries along the route. Herzog's office did not comment on the details of the flight.
Ankara had previously closed Turkish airspace to Herzog's plane in November 2024, and the Israeli President's visit to Azerbaijan had been canceled. It was also noted that Herzog followed a longer alternative route to avoid using Turkish airspace during his official visit to Kazakhstan in April of this year.
News Source: 12punto
