Israel moves to bar Erdogan's son, other Turkish officials from entry

Israel is moving to bar Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's son, Bilal Erdogan, from entering the country, alongside dozens of other Turkish nationals, in what officials describe as a security and policy decision reflecting the deepening rupture between Ankara and Tel Aviv amid Israel's war on Gaza.

The proposed entry ban, first reported on Wednesday, would affect at least 28 senior Turkish figures, including political, religious, media and civil society personalities.

Israeli officials say the move is being advanced under domestic immigration law and is intended as a principled response to what they describe as sustained Turkish hostility towards Israel, rather than any imminent travel plans.

The effort is being led by Israel's minister for diaspora affairs, Amichai Chikli, who has publicly characterised Turkey as an "enemy state" and used highly charged language to justify the proposed restrictions.

Israeli media reported that the recommendation was prepared by the ministry's director general, Avi Cohen Scali, and forwarded to the Population and Immigration Authority, which has approved all similar requests submitted in the past.

According to Israeli reports, those targeted include Bilal Erdogan, who heads the Turkish foundation TÜRGEV and has been visible at pro-Palestinian rallies and campaigns calling for boycotts of Israel, as well as figures linked to religious institutions and charitable organisations.

Israeli officials have accused those named of incitement and glorifying violence, claims Ankara has not publicly responded to as of 22 January.

Chikli was quoted by Israeli outlet Ynet as saying that Turkey had crossed "a red line", arguing that Israel should respond not merely to criticism but to what he framed as efforts to delegitimise the state.

He invoked the phrase "axis of evil", a term long used by Israeli leaders since the start of the Gaza war to describe Israel's regional adversaries.

Israeli officials have also pointed to Turkey's continued political and humanitarian engagement with Gaza and its activity in occupied East Jerusalem as part of the rationale for the ban, arguing that it represents an expansion of Turkish influence that Israel views as hostile.

The move comes against the backdrop of a dramatic deterioration in Turkish-Israeli relations since October 2023.