When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's plane was heading to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, it was learned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might also participate in the summit there. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
Following this news, Erdogan ordered the plane not to land. According to reports, the Turkish leader was traveling to Egypt at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and US President Donald Trump to discuss an agreement to halt the shootings in the Gaza Strip.
During the flight, Erdogan personally contacted el-Sisi by phone and stated that if Netanyahu also attended the summit, he would not allow the plane to land. At the same time, Ankara officials communicated with Washington and expressed their dissatisfaction due to the lack of prior agreement on this matter.
According to Iraq's INA agency, US President Donald Trump attempted to arrange the participation of the Israeli Prime Minister, but this effort failed. Additionally, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had previously announced that he would not attend if Netanyahu participated in the summit.
As a result, after consulting with US and Israeli officials, Netanyahu decided to cancel his trip. Erdogan's plane circled in the air until Netanyahu's absence was officially confirmed, after which it landed in Sharm el-Sheikh.
According to Reuters, on the morning of October 13, Netanyahu met with Donald Trump in Israel. Later, the Egyptian side announced the possible participation of the Israeli Prime Minister, but the Prime Minister's office stated that the visit was canceled due to Jewish holidays.
Representatives of HAMAS also did not participate in the summit. Erdogan's decision once again demonstrated Turkey's diplomatic position in the Middle East.
Ankara showed its readiness to refrain from participating in the same venue with Israel. This situation clearly reflects Turkey's political stance in the region.
