Turkey Closes the Door on Trade with Israel: A Response to Israeli Cruelty in Gaza

In response to the “cruelty” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the war in Gaza, Turkey has decided to “close the door” on trade with Israel, a relationship valued at $9.5 billion. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed this decision on Friday, following an announcement by the Turkish Ministry of Commerce to suspend all import and export activities with Israel until there is a guaranteed and adequate flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Erdogan highlighted that just weeks before the attacks by Hamas in October, Israel had met with Netanyahu in the United States to discuss potential steps to improve their bilateral relationship, which had been fully restored in 2022 after years of tension. However, in response to what he perceives as cruelty towards innocent civilians in Gaza, particularly children, women, and the elderly, Erdogan stated that they could no longer tolerate the situation and had to take action.

In April, Turkey had already banned the export of various products to Israel, such as steel and concrete, as a way to pressure Israel to expedite the shipment of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Despite the diplomatic rift between the two countries last October, trade between them continued to grow, with Israel being Turkey’s tenth largest customer in 2022.

Data from the Turkish Exporters Association showed that Turkish exports to Israel had increased significantly, reaching $423 million in March alone. However, Erdogan’s recent decision to cut off trade with Israel is a clear indication of Turkey’s stance against what they perceive as Israeli aggression and cruelty in the conflict with Gaza.