Netanyahu abandons Azerbaijan visit after Turkey denies access to its airspace

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forced to abandon his planned visit to Azerbaijan earlier this week after Turkey refused to allow his plane to enter its airspace, according to a report.

Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Gaza, was supposed to travel to Baku for talks with President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday and stay through to the weekend.

In a statement on Saturday, his office said that the visit had been cancelled, blaming a "tight political and security schedule" and developments in Gaza and Syria.

However, reporting by Israeli outlet Walla said that the trip was called off after Turkey blocked the prime minister's plane from using its airspace.

Netanyahu's team explored using an alternative route over Greece and Bulgaria but decided to cancel the visit due to the longer flight time, the news outlet said.

Tensions between Turkey and Israel have reached their highest levels in years on the back of Israel's brutal war on Gaza and its aggression against Syria.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has fiercely criticised the Israeli prime minister over his government's treatment of the Palestinians and its efforts to destabilise the new government in Damascus.

Ankara recalled its ambassador from Tel Aviv in 2023 and suspended all trade with Israel last year.

Turkey on Friday denied an Iranian media report that it had given permission for Netanyahu's Wing of Zion plane to enter its airspace.

"The claims that a flight permit was given in Turkish airspace for the Israeli prime ministers' plane are completely untrue. Nor has any request been forwarded to us," Turkish media quoted a foreign ministry spokesperson as saying.

In November, Israeli President Isaac Herzog was forced to cancel his visit to Azerbaijan for the COP29 climate summit, which his office said was because of "security considerations".

Azeri media reported at the time that Ankara had denied his plane access to Turkish airspace despite lobbying from Baku.

Azerbaijan enjoys close ties with both countries and has mediated talks between Turkish and Israeli officials to deescalate tensions in Syria.