Turkey has halted all trade with Israel due to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Turkish government does not want to resume imports and exports until “continuous and sufficient” humanitarian aid goes to the Palestinian population in Gaza.
The Turkish Ministry of Commerce announced the ban on Thursday. The ban applies to all products and the ministry says it will comply with the measures “strictly and resolutely”.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz reacted angrily to the Turkish government’s plans. According to him, Turkey is violating international agreements by blocking trade with Israel. “This is how dictators behave,” Katz said of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan is one of the fiercest critics of Israeli policies during the war in Gaza. He accuses Israel of genocide and compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.
Last month, Turkey already restricted the export of several products to Israel. This included fuels, cement and chemicals. In 2023, the value of trade between the two countries was 6.4 billion euros.
Tags: Turkey suspends trade Israel due war Gaza War Israel Hamas
