Herzog cancels Azerbaijan visit after Turkey blocks airspace

"Israeli" President Isaac Herzog’s planned visit to the climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, was abruptly canceled due to Turkey’s refusal to permit his plane to fly through its airspace.

The cancellation sparked tensions between Azerbaijan and "Israel", with Azerbaijani officials feeling slighted by the public explanation of "security reasons" given by Herzog’s office.

According to "Israeli" newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the "Israeli" president's trip to the conference, set to be held in the Azerbaijani capital, was initially postponed after Turkey blocked the passage of Herzog’s flight through its skies.

While Herzog’s office stated that the cancellation was made for security reasons, no specific security threats were reported in Azerbaijan itself, and the "Israeli" government later clarified that the cancellation was related solely to the airspace issue.

Azerbaijani officials expressed dissatisfaction with the security-related justification for the visit's cancellation, with sources in Baku confirming that the real reason behind the decision was Turkey's refusal to allow the flight. A senior official from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs further clarified to the Caliber news site that the issue had nothing to do with security concerns in Azerbaijan.