Turkey on Thursday cut off all imports and exports to Israel, the latest move in the country’s protests against the Gaza war.
The Turkish government, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has not yet officially announced the move, but Israeli officials are already reacting to the potential impact. According to Bloomberg News, Israel and Turkey traded about $6.8 billion worth of goods in 2023, mostly in Turkish exports.
“President Erdoğan is breaking the agreement by blocking Israel’s import and export ports,” Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“This is the act of a dictator who ignores international trade agreements and tramples on the interests of the Turkish people and business community,” he added.
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Turkey on Thursday cut off all imports and exports to Israel, the latest move in the country’s protests against the Gaza war. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been increasingly critical of Israel.
Turkey has not announced conditions for resuming trade.
“I have directed the head of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs to immediately work with all stakeholders within the government to create alternatives for trade with Turkey that focus on local production and imports from other countries. “It will emerge with a strong and bold economy,” Katz continued.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has slammed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over his recent economic policies.
Turkey’s move expands on existing trade restrictions against Israel that the government announced last month. Israel has been at war with Hamas since October 7, when the terrorist organization dispatched fighters from Gaza to southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages.
But the economy is just one front in Turkey’s efforts against Israel. Erdogan’s government also agreed to join South Africa as a plaintiff in a UN lawsuit accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
The Turkish government has agreed to join South Africa as a plaintiff in a United Nations trial accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. (Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Tensions between Israel and Turkey are rising as Israel faces increasing threats of war with its neighbors, namely Iran and terrorist agencies in Lebanon and Yemen.
