A news website from Azerbaijan that is considered the mouthpiece of the government claims that the real reason President Isaac Herzog canceled his visit to the climate conference in Baku is Turkey's refusal to allow Herzog's plane to fly in its airspace on the way to the meeting. Azeri officials confirmed the veracity of the local media report to Ynet.
3 View gallery
Turkey would not let Israel's official Wing of Zion plane carrying President Isaac Herzog fly through its airspace
(Photo: Yair Sagi)
Herzog was supposed to arrive in Baku on Tuesday for a visit of only a few hours, and Ynet learned that the flight to Azerbaijan was planned to be made on the country's official Wing of Zion plane. On Saturday night, the president's office announced that "in light of the situation assessment and for security reasons, the president of the country decided to cancel his trip to the climate conference in Azerbaijan." Israeli officials stated that it was due to security alerts.
The Azeris did not like the way Israel framed the decision, and a senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan told the Caliber News website that the reason for Herzog's cancellation was not at all related to security, but to the ban imposed by Turkey on allowing the plane carrying Herzog to use its airspace.
3 View gallery
President Isaac Herzog canceled his trip to the COP29 UN climate conference, citing 'security' concerns
(Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)
"Unfortunately, intensive negotiations through diplomatic channels that lasted for several days did not yield results. Azerbaijan provides has created appropriate conditions for the participation of all parties in the climate conference, but the situation surrounding the Israeli president's visit arose for reasons beyond our country's control," the source added.
According to him, in Azerbaijan - which has repeatedly hosted major regional and global events such as the Eurovision song contest - a high level of security is guaranteed. "It is not an exaggeration to say that Baku is one of the safest cities in the world," the source claimed. "This is confirmed by the fact that a large number of Israeli officials have come to Azerbaijan, including President Herzog himself, who visited Baku on May 30 of this year. Prime Minister Netanyahu also came to Azerbaijan for a one-day visit in 2016."
Watch the Wing of Zion plane take off from Ben Gurion Airport
(צילום: אבי חי)
He noted that "unprecedented security measures are also being taken in preparation for the conference in connection with the arrival of tens of thousands of guests and about 100 world leaders and heads of high-ranking delegations to the country."
3 View gallery
Participants listen to speeches during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku on November 13, 2024
(Photo: Alexander Nemenov / AFP)
The Azeris were apparently offended by the Israeli report on the reason for the cancellation, and tried through diplomatic contacts to change its framing. Israeli ministers who arrived in Baku did so on commercial flights through Georgia. It is not clear why Herzog did not choose a similar route, but decided to fly on the Wing of Zion.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: