Turkey Blocks Trade with Israel
Economic ties will remain severed until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza
Turkey has decided to stop trading with Israel, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat said. He specified that imports and exports with Tel Aviv will remain blocked until a ceasefire is reached in Gaza and humanitarian aid can arrive and be distributed to the population without hindrance.
The sanctions package had already been passed by the Commerce Department in March and covered 54 products and commodities, including steel, fertilizer, marble, and jet fuel. The trade turnover between the two countries is just under 7 billion dollars per year: 5.4 billion dollars of Turkish exports and 1.6 billion dollars of imports from Israel.
“Israel’s intransigent stance and the deteriorating situation in Gaza have forced Turkey to stop trading,” Bolat said.
Turkey has thus become the first important partner to cut off trade relations with a country that has been waging a devastating war in the Gaza Strip for seven months. Israel’s response was immediate. Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz explained that Erdogan’s decision violates international trade agreements, calling the method dictatorial.