Turkey halts all trade with Israel over atrocities in Gaza

ANKARA: Turkey has suspended all trade with Israel, citing concerns over the “worsening humanitarian tragedy” in the Palestinian territories on Thursday.

The Turkish trade ministry announced the move on Thursday, stating that it covers all export and import transactions related to Israel.

Read more: Turkey imposes total ban on exports to Israel amid Gaza violence

The decision comes after earlier restrictions imposed in April, which halted the export of iron and steel products and construction equipment to Israel. The trade volume between the two countries amounted to $6.8 billion in 2023.

Israel’s Foreign Minister (FM) criticised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He accused the Erdogan of behaving like a “dictator” in response to the restrictions. The Israeli FM vowed that Israel would “seek alternatives” for trade with Turkey, focusing on local production and imports from other countries.

Turkey’s Ministry of Trade cited concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as the reason behind its decision. It stated its commitment to implementing the new measures until Israel ensures an “
uninterrupted and sufficient flow” of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The move follows deteriorating relations and rising tensions between Turkey and Israel, exacerbated by the conflict in Gaza. Israeli forces have killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October last year. The international community including Israel’s staunch ally United States (US) has called for a ceasefire and criticised Israel’s airstrikes that killed aid workers in Gaza.

Read more: Turkey’s Erdogan says Israeli PM Netanyahu no different from Hitler

As Turkey suspends all trade ties with Israel, it joins other nations in condemning the actions and policies of the Israeli government, particularly concerning its handling of the situation in Gaza.

Previously, Turkey announceed to join South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over violations of the UN Genocide Convention by Israel.