Turkey has suspended all trade with Israel in response to its offensive in Gaza, citing the “worsening humanitarian tragedy” in the region.
The Turkish Trade Ministry announced that the suspension would remain in effect until Israel allows an “uninterrupted and sufficient flow” of aid into Gaza. Trade between the two countries amounted to nearly $7 billion (£5.6 billion) last year.
Israel’s Foreign Minister accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of behaving like a “dictator.” Israel Katz stated on X that Erdogan was
“disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen and ignoring international trade agreements.”
Katz added that he had instructed the Foreign Ministry to seek alternatives for trade with Turkey, focusing on local production and imports from other countries. The ministry also indicated that it would take steps to reduce economic ties between Turkey and the Palestinian Authority and Gaza.
Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat criticized Israel’s “uncompromising attitude” towards a ceasefire and the humanitarian situation in Rafah, a southern Gaza city. He stated,
“Turkey has suspended all export and import activities with Israel until a permanent ceasefire is established and aid into Gaza is allowed without interruption.”
In 1949, Turkey became the first Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel. However, relations have deteriorated in recent decades. In 2010, Turkey broke off diplomatic ties with Israel after 10 pro-Palestinian Turkish activists were killed in clashes with Israeli commandos who boarded a Turkish-owned ship attempting to break Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Relations were restored in 2016, but in 2018, both countries expelled each other’s top diplomats over a dispute related to Israel’s killing of Palestinians during protests on the Gaza-Israel border.
Erdogan has increasingly criticized Israel since the deadly Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 of last year. He has repeatedly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, comparing him to historical dictators such as Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin, and dubbing him “the butcher of Gaza.” Netanyahu, in turn, has said Erdogan is the last person who can preach morality to Israel, accusing him of supporting Hamas, denying the Armenian genocide, and massacring Kurds in Turkey.
Erdogan has faced domestic political pressure to take action against Israel, with both opponents and allies calling for measures. His ruling AK Party experienced its worst defeat in two decades in local elections at the end of March, with many religious voters supporting the Islamist New Welfare Party, which advocated for hardline measures against Israel.
Following the elections, Turkey imposed restrictions on 54 products exported to Israel, including iron and steel, jet fuel, pesticides, and construction equipment. On Thursday, the Trade Ministry in Ankara announced that the restrictions were now extended to all exports and imports. In 2023, Israel was Turkey’s 13th largest export market, receiving 2.1% of Turkish exports, and Turkey was Israel’s fifth largest source of imports.
Israel has faced increasing criticism for the conditions in the Gaza Strip. A UN-backed assessment last month reported that 1.1 million people were facing catastrophic hunger, with famine imminent in northern Gaza by May.
On Thursday, the White House announced that a pier built by the US military to facilitate aid flow into Gaza would be operational within days. The US has released photos showing logistics vessels and personnel assembling the floating pier from steel segments, next to a US Navy ship.
However, the UN maintains that a maritime corridor cannot replace delivery by land, which is necessary to bring in the bulk of supplies. Earlier this week, Israel reopened the Erez Crossing into northern Gaza for aid convoys, following pressure from Western allies and repeated appeals from international aid organizations. However, Jordan reported that some of its aid lorries were attacked by Israeli settlers before reaching the crossing.
A recent UN-backed report provided statistical evidence that the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is turning into a man-made famine. The UN’s most senior human rights official, Volker Türk, told the BBC that there was a “plausible” case that Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza. Israel denies limiting aid deliveries and has blamed the UN for failing to distribute it to those in need inside Gaza.
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 253 others were taken hostage. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 34,500 people have been killed in Gaza since then.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged both Israel and Hamas to finalize a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the remaining hostages. He stated that a deal was on the table and urged Hamas to agree to it. Mediators are awaiting Hamas’s response to the latest proposal, which reportedly involves a 40-day ceasefire and the release of over 30 Israeli hostages in exchange for many more Palestinian prisoners.
