Israeli President Cancels COP29 Attendance in Azerbaijan After Turkey Bars Official Aircraft from Its Airspace
According to reports from Azerbaijani media close to the government, Turkey prohibited President Herzog’s official aircraft, the “Wing of Zion,” from flying through its airspace en route to Azerbaijan.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Israeli President Isaac Herzog was scheduled to attend the Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, but his participation was abruptly canceled due to actions allegedly taken by Turkey.
According to reports from Azerbaijani media close to the government, Turkey prohibited President Herzog’s official aircraft, the “Wing of Zion,” from flying through its airspace en route to Azerbaijan.
Israeli media later confirmed that the Azerbaijani government had corroborated the claims regarding Turkey’s decision to block the presidential aircraft from using its airspace.
President Herzog was initially expected to arrive in Baku on Tuesday aboard the “Wing of Zion” for a brief visit to attend the UN-organized conference.
However, the Israeli President’s office announced today that the trip was canceled, citing “security reasons” following an evaluation of the situation.
Israeli officials, quoted by local media, reiterated that the cancellation of President Herzog’s visit to COP29 in Baku was due to “security concerns.”
Israel President Isaac Herzog
However, this explanation has not been well-received by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Azerbaijani officials denied that security concerns were the cause of Herzog’s withdrawal, pointing instead to the Turkish government’s refusal to grant airspace access to the Israeli President’s official aircraft.
“Regrettably, intense diplomatic negotiations over several days yielded no results. Azerbaijan had prepared an optimal environment for all COP29 participants, but circumstances surrounding President Herzog’s visit were beyond our control,” an Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry source told a local news outlet.
The source added that Azerbaijan has successfully hosted numerous international events, including the Eurovision Song Contest, under stringent security measures.
“Baku is one of the safest cities in the world,” the source emphasized, noting that President Herzog himself had visited Azerbaijan on May 30 this year without incident. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also visited Azerbaijan in 2016.
The Azerbaijani government is reportedly “disappointed” by Israel’s reliance on the “security concerns” narrative and is working to challenge this explanation provided by Tel Aviv for the cancellation of President Herzog’s trip. — DSA