Türkiye's Fidan Labels Israel a 'Terrorist State,' Confirms Severing of All Trade Ties

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday launched one of his country’s most severe condemnations of Israel to date, declaring that its series of military actions across the Middle East is the “clearest sign of a terrorist state mentality,” while confirming that Ankara has taken the dramatic step of severing all trade relations and closing its airspace to Israeli aircraft.

In remarks delivered during an extraordinary parliamentary session and reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), Fidan’s statements represent the culmination of escalating rhetoric into concrete and punitive economic and logistical actions against Israel.

#BREAKING 'Israel’s reckless attacks on Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iran is clearest sign of terrorist state mentality defying international order:' Turkish foreign minister pic.twitter.com/xkKzgSqjyd

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) August 29, 2025

The Turkish foreign minister detailed the comprehensive nature of the new measures, which effectively halt a significant bilateral economic relationship.

“Türkiye has cut all trade with Israel, does not allow Turkish ships to go Israeli ports, and closed its airspace to Israeli aircraft,” Fidan announced. He framed these actions within a broader moral and historical context, asserting that the events in Gaza constitute a profound stain on the global conscience.

“Atrocities committed in Gaza have been recorded as one of the darkest chapters in human history,” he stated, according to Anadolu Agency. Fidan also linked Ankara's position to regional stability, particularly in Syria, vowing that Türkiye would stand against any attempts to destabilize its neighbor.

“We will not allow Syria’s ancient and valuable communities to be exploited for these distorted goals against its territorial integrity,” the foreign minister affirmed.

The minister's fiery remarks on Friday build upon a series of increasingly harsh condemnations of Israeli policy that have defined Turkish foreign policy in recent months.

In a previous interview with a Turkish TV channel, also reported by AA, Fidan had already accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to conceal a genocide. He stated that the reality of the "genocide in Gaza" has been recognized by the world, but Netanyahu is "trying to cover it up."

He described the Palestine issue as a "bleeding wound" for the entire world and stressed the urgent need to stop the famine he said was caused by Israel in the besieged enclave.

In that earlier interview, Fidan offered a detailed critique of what he described as Netanyahu’s strategy for deflecting international condemnation.

He claimed the Israeli prime minister “has developed a pressure mechanism for each country” by mobilizing “the Zionist lobby in each country” in order to hold nations “under captivity through their own local politics.”

According to Fidan, this era of perceived Israeli impunity is now over. He noted that "the illusion surrounding the Palestinian issue and Israel's untouchability" that had been created over many years has now been shattered.

The world now knows, he emphasized, that "Israel's real goal has never been its own security" but rather "gaining more land under the guise of security."

Fidan also provided an assessment of the United States’ evolving position on the conflict, suggesting that Washington’s historically steadfast support for Tel Aviv was wavering. Stressing that the US had changed its stance on Israel's attacks on Gaza, Fidan told the Turkish channel that Washington has not been "openly defending" Israel "anymore."

Pointing to what he called Israel’s brutality in the Palestinian enclave, he said the Netanyahu administration does not care about any humanitarian values. In one of his most forceful comparisons, Fidan drew a stark historical parallel, stating that "this historical madness that Netanyahu and his friends have brought about is a repeat of the similar madness they condemned 60-70 years ago, the madness of Hitler."

The Turkish foreign minister’s concerns extended to what he characterized as Israel’s expansionist ambitions regarding Syria. He said there is "no acceptable aspect to Israel's expansionist stance, particularly that of the Netanyahu government, regarding Syria."

He also directed criticism at certain groups within Syria for viewing Israeli pressure as "an opportunity to develop a separatist political discourse" rather than working together to build Syria's future.

The Turkish government’s broader foreign policy vision was also touched upon in the earlier interview, where Fidan expressed optimism about peace prospects between Russia and Ukraine and highlighted positive developments for regional peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, including the conceptual acceptance of the Zangezur Corridor.

However, the clear and immediate focus of his latest and most forceful pronouncements remains the comprehensive diplomatic and economic break with Israel, marking a new and volatile chapter in the region’s geopolitics.