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Turkey has suspended all trade with Israel over the Gaza attack, citing an “aggravated humanitarian tragedy” in the Gaza Strip.
Turkey’s trade ministry said the measures would be in place until Israel allows a “uninterrupted and sufficient flow” of aid into Gaza.
Trade between the two countries reached around $7bn (£5.6bn) last year.
Israel’s foreign minister has accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of behaving like a “dictator”.
Israel Katz said in X that Erdogan “ignores the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen and ignores international trade agreements.”
He added that he had instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to find alternatives for trade with Turkey, focusing on domestic production and imports from other countries.
Turkey’s Trade Minister Omer Borat criticized Israel’s “uncompromising stance” on the ceasefire and the humanitarian situation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, saying, “Turkey is committed to ensuring that a permanent ceasefire is established and that aid to Turkey is established.” “We have suspended all imports and exports to and from Israel until the end of the year,” he said. Gaza will be allowed without any interruptions. ”
In 1949, Turkey became the first Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel. However, relations have deteriorated in recent decades.
In 2010, Turkey severed diplomatic relations with Israel after 10 pro-Palestinian Turkish activists were killed in a clash with Israeli special forces who boarded a Turkish-owned ship in an attempt to break Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. .
Relations were restored in 2016, but two years later both countries expelled each other’s top diplomats over a dispute over Israel’s killing of a Palestinian during protests on the Gaza-Israel border.
Since Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on October 7 last year, Mr. Erdogan has become increasingly critical of Israel.
He has repeatedly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, comparing him to Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin, and calling him the “butcher of Gaza.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu said the Turkish leader was the last person who could preach morality to Israel. In March, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “We support the mass murderers and rapists of Hamas and deny the Armenian genocide.” [and] They are slaughtering Kurds in their own country. ”
image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Turkey’s leaders have been under domestic political pressure for months from both adversaries and allies to announce measures against Israel.
His ruling AK Party suffered its worst defeat in 20 years in local elections at the end of March, with many religious voters supporting the Islamist New Welfare Party, which called for a hard line on Israel.
Shortly after the vote, Turkey imposed restrictions on 54 products exported to Israel, ranging from steel to jet fuel, pesticides and construction equipment.
Ankara’s Ministry of Trade announced on Thursday that the measure is now extended to all imports and exports. Israel will be Turkey’s 13th largest export market in 2023, receiving 2.1% of Turkey’s exports last year. Turkey became Israel’s fifth largest import source last year.
Israel has come under increasing criticism over the situation in the Gaza Strip. A United Nations-backed report said last month that 1.1 million people were facing catastrophic hunger and famine was imminent in northern Gaza by May.
The White House announced Thursday that a pier built by the U.S. military to facilitate the flow of aid into the territory will open within days.
But the United Nations says maritime corridors can never replace land transport, which is the only way to move the large quantities of goods needed.
Earlier this week, Israel reopened the Erez crossing into the northern Gaza Strip for aid convoys, following pressure from Western allies and repeated appeals from international aid agencies.
But Jordan said some of the aid trucks were attacked by Israeli settlers before they could reach the crossing.
Volker Türk, the top UN human rights official, told the BBC there was a “plausible” case that Israel was using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza.
Israel denies restricting aid supplies and accuses the United Nations of failing to distribute aid to people in need in the Gaza Strip.
Israel launched a military operation to annihilate Hamas in the Gaza Strip after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and 253 hostages.
More than 34,500 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-controlled region’s health ministry.
Mediators are awaiting a response from Hamas to the latest proposal.
This reportedly includes a 40-day ceasefire and the release of more than 30 Israeli hostages in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners.
