Turkey announced on Wednesday the suspension of plans for cooperation with Israel in the field of energy, and Turkish Energy Minister Alp Arslan Bayraktar canceled a planned visit to Israel, according to the US website Bloomberg.
Ankara had planned to discuss plans for cooperation with Israel for joint energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean and the possibility of plans to export gas to Europe via Turkey.
The development comes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Israel's aggression on Gaza, accusing it of launching the most brutal attacks in history during its more than two-week war on the Gaza Strip, and describing the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) as a liberation movement.
Erdogan said in a speech at a meeting of deputies of the ruling Justice and Development Party in parliament that he canceled a planned visit to Israel in light of its war on Gaza, which has so far caused more than 6,16 martyrs and more than <>,<> injuries.
The Turkish president called for an urgent ceasefire and the opening of an urgent humanitarian corridor for the unhindered entry of aid to the Gaza Strip, and pointed out that his country sent field hospitals with generators to the Strip, stressing that their arrival should not be prevented.
Turkish Energy Minister Alp Arslan Bayraktar announced in early October his intention to visit Israel next month to strengthen energy relations between the two sides, before canceling this visit.
The minister explained at the time that the visit aims to discuss the possibility of shipping natural gas from Israel to Europe via Turkey, and the use of this gas to meet part of Turkey's domestic needs.
Israel now exports gas to Europe via Egypt, where the gas is piped to the Egyptian liquefaction plants in Idku and Damietta, after which it is transported after liquefaction to Europe, but Israel's export to Egypt is currently suspended.