Israeli president’s plane takes lengthy detour to Kazakhstan after Turkish airspace denial

The plane carrying Israeli President Isaac Herzog took an eight-hour route to Kazakhstan for his two-day visit after Türkiye denied it entry into its airspace, according to Israeli media.

Channel 12 reported that the aircraft followed an alternative route via Europe and Russia to avoid entering Turkish airspace, extending the flight time to eight hours.

In November 2024, Türkiye also denied Herzog permission to use its airspace for a flight to COP29 in Azerbaijan, after which he cancelled the trip, citing “security concerns," according to TRT World. 

Relations between Türkiye and Israel have deteriorated since Israel launched its military attacks in Gaza.

In a social media post on X, Herzog confirmed that he had landed in Astana.