Turkey has stopped all exports and imports to and from Israel, citing the “worsening humanitarian tragedy” in Gaza, according to the Turkish Ministry of Trade.
In a statement on Thursday, the ministry announced, “Export and import transactions related to Israel have been stopped, covering all products.”
“Turkey will strictly and decisively implement these new measures until the Israeli Government allows an uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.”
The announcement follows remarks by Israel’s foreign minister, who accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of breaking agreements by blocking ports from handling Israeli imports and exports.
Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, said, “This is how a dictator behaves, disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen, and ignoring international trade agreements.”
Katz instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek alternatives for trade with Turkey, focusing on local production and imports from other countries.
In 2023, the two countries had a trade volume of $6.8 billion.
Last month, Turkey imposed trade restrictions on Israel, alleging that Israel had refused to allow Ankara to participate in airdrops of aid for Gaza and for Israel’s actions in the enclave.
When asked about Turkey’s ongoing trade with Israel despite Ankara’s harsh rhetoric, President Erdogan stated last month that Turkey no longer engaged in “intense trade” with Israel, adding, “That is done.” However, he did not indicate that Ankara had completely halted all trade with Israel.
