After 7 months of an ongoing genocide by Israel against the native Palestinian population, Turkey has finally broken ranks with the West, announcing that it will be expanding its earlier trade restrictions imposed on its exports to the state of Israel.
The government in Ankara are citing the “worsening humanitarian tragedy”, as the Turkish ministry of trade confirms that economic sanctions would remain in place until Israel allows an “uninterrupted and sufficient flow” of humanitarian aid into the Gaza strip.
He added that, “We have a single goal here: to force the Netanyahu leadership, which has gotten out of control with the West’s unconditional military and diplomatic support, to a ceasefire.”
Bilateral trade between the two countries is said be worth roughly $6.8 billion (according to 2023 statistics).
Unset at the move, Israel’s foreign minister Israel Katz accused Turkish President Erdogan of acting like a “dictator” by cutting of trade with Tel Aviv.
Katz accused President Erdogan of “disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen and ignoring international trade agreements”.
Bloomberg News reports…
Turkey confirmed it would halt all trade with Israel until the country allows uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, after two officials familiar with the matter said the pause went into effect earlier Thursday.
Turkey decided to expand last month’s restriction on some Turkish exports to Israel due to the “worsening humanitarian tragedy in Palestine,” the Trade Ministry said in a statement, adding that work was underway to make sure that Palestinians were not adversely affected.
Last month, Turkey curbed exports such as steel, fertiliser and jet fuel, comprising some 54 product categories.
Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat hit out at Israel’s “uncompromising attitude” towards calling a ceasefire, and condemned Israel for creating the humanitarian crisis in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
“Turkey has suspended all export and import with Israel until a permanent ceasefire is established and the aid into the Gaza is allowed without any interruption,” said Bolat.
It was Turkey who was the first Muslim-majority country to recognise Israel back in 1949.
In 2010, Turkey broke off diplomatic relations with Israel after ten Turkish human rights activists were murdered by Israeli commandos who boarded a Turkish-owned ship MV Mavi Marmara which was trying to break Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Relations were later restored in 2016, but both countries, but diplomatic tensions remained due to an increasingly brutal occupation of the Palestinian people by Israel.
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