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In protest of the Gaza war, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan claimed that his country has completely cut ties with Israel and that its airspace has been closed to its aircraft.

Fidan claimed that Israel has been “committing genocide in Gaza for the past two years, disregarding basic humanitarian values right before the world’s eyes” at an extraordinary session of the Turkish parliament on Friday.

In May of last year, Turkiye cut off Israeli trade with Israel and demanded an immediate ceasefire and the influx of humanitarian aid. The two nations traded $7 billion in 2023.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, along with many other world leaders and influential human rights organizations, has compared Israel’s occupation of Gaza to Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany, and has made no mince words about it.

“We have completely stopped trading with Israel.” Turkish ships are not permitted to dock in Israeli waters. Their planes cannot enter our airspace, according to Fidan.

The Turkish foreign minister’s condemnation comes amid years of the two countries’ increasingly tense relations, according to Resul Serdar from Al Jazeera.

Turkiye gradually perceives Israel as a threat to national security, Serdar explained, noting that Israel’s expansionism and attacks on the wider Middle East have raised questions.

After the devastation of a 14-year civil war and Bashar al-Assad’s removal last December by a lightning rebel offensive, Ankara has accused Israel of wilfully undermining the country’s recovery efforts in Syria.

According to him, “diplomats in Ankara are seeing that if Israel isn’t stopped, these two nations might engage in direct military hostility.”

Serdar added that in spite of the United States’ and the European Union’s largely unwavering support for Israel, the comments from the Turkish foreign minister also demonstrate that Turkiye is looking to the Global South and other countries for action.

No official statement was made, but a report from Turkish media last week claimed that an Israeli-related maritime traffic ban had been implemented. According to reports, Turkish-flagged ships were prohibited from docking in Israeli ports and Israeli vessels were prohibited from docking there.

Like pariahs,

According to Akiva Eldar, an Israeli political analyst, Turkiye’s most recent move is making “more and more Israelis feel the drawbacks of this kind of war that has no deadline.”

Turkey has decided to end its relationship with Israel, not just another nation. Turkey has long been an Israeli ally and has a significant market for Israeli goods, Eldar said in an interview from Kiryat Shmona.

Israelis feel isolated and [like] pariahs, according to the group. More and more nations and businesses have opted to halt operations with Israel.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s plane was denied entry to Turkiye’s airspace last November after Turkish authorities blocked its entry to Azerbaijan’s international summit.

Erdogan later responded to a question about the incident by saying, “As Turkiye, we must take a position on some issues.”

Following Israel’s deadly attack on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, which resulted in the deaths of 10 Turkish citizens, the relationship between Israel and Turkiye had already deteriorated since 2010.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, has stated that his administration will not immediately impose tariffs on Americans.

Instead, he called on Donald Trump, his US counterpart, to join him in trade negotiations on Friday.

Brazil currently pays 50% of its US exports, which is the highest current tariff rate for any nation besides India.

Brazil’s Chamber of Foreign Commerce (CAMEX) began looking into whether countermeasures would be imposed by local law on Thursday, despite Brazil’s unwillingness to respond in kind.

In a radio interview on Friday, Lula said, “This is a process that takes a while.” We must let the United States know that we can also take legal action against them. But I’m not too anxious. Negotiation is what I want.

As part of Trump’s push to put an end to a trial against his fellow far-right leader, Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil has been subject to the stringent US tariffs since August 1.

Since taking office, Bolsonaro, who presided over Brazil from 2019 to 2023, has been the subject of numerous legal proceedings, including allegations that he allegedly fabricated his COVID-19 vaccination records and used government resources to devalue the electoral process.

His most significant legal difficulty is his most recent trial for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2022 election results, which he vehemently defeated.

In the beginning of September, the case will likely result in a verdict. Bolsonaro, on the other hand, has defended the proceedings as political persecution and denied wrongdoing.

Trump has made similar claims. He claimed in a letter to Lula from July 9 that the Brazilian government was censoring right-wing voices, and that he would impose the 50% tariff as a result.

“This trial shouldn’t be occurring,” he said. A witch hunt needs to end right away. Trump authored .

The letter also contained a warning against using any retaliatory measures: “Anytime you decide to raise your tariffs, whatever the number you choose to raise them by will be added to the 50% that we charge.

In response to Bolsonaro’s trial, the Trump administration also imposed sanctions and revoked Brazilian government visas.

Lula, however, has argued that Trump’s actions are an attempt to stifle Brazilian law.

Lula’s government claimed that the US’s 50 percent tariff violated international agreements by filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization on August 11.

Since then, the US and the international organization have agreed to consult. A panel from the World Trade Organization would likely evaluate Brazil’s case if that were to fail.

Brazil’s Foreign Ministry requested on Thursday that CAMEX investigate whether a reciprocity law passed by Congress could be used to carry out retaliatory measures against the US, with approval from Lula’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

CAMEX will have 30 days to make its conclusions regarding the potential impact of US tariffs on the market.

Lula told Radio Itatiaia on Friday, “I took this measure because we have to move forward with the process.” It will take a year if we follow the law’s requirements.

Lula has repeatedly claimed that Trump administration officials have resisted engaging in negotiations to lower the hefty export taxes.

The US exports to Brazil are more than its imports, according to the US Trade Representative. More than $ 127.6 billion was traded in total goods and services with Brazil last year, up from $ 202 billion.

Lula reiterated his desire to speak with Trump in a radio interview on Friday, stating that he opposed to a trade war. Brazil won’t, he added, abandoning its own sovereignty.