National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Turkey has ceased all trade with Israel, attributing the decision to the continuous violence against Palestinians in Gaza until a ceasefire is attained.
This was disclosed in a statement released by the Turkish Trade Ministry, headed by Ömer Bolat, on Friday.
Recall that in April, Turkey imposed export restrictions on 54 product groups bound for Israel due to ongoing concerns over Israel’s actions, including humanitarian crises and physical devastation.
The statement read, “The Israeli government continued to “ignore” international ceasefire efforts and block humanitarian aid.
“It is observed that the Israeli government continues its aggressive behavior and the humanitarian tragedy in Palestine worsens.”
“In this respect, the second phase of the measures taken at the state level has been initiated, and export and import transactions with Israel have been suspended for all products.”
Turkey emphasized that it will rigorously enforce these fresh measures until the Israeli government permits the continuous and adequate delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Trade Ministry is working closely with Palestinian authorities to mitigate the impact of restrictions on Palestinian individuals living under occupation, ensuring their well-being amidst these challenges.
In 2023, trade between Turkey and Israel reached a total of 6.8 billion U.S. dollars, as reported by the Turkish Statistical Institute. Turkish exports made up 76 percent of this trade volume.
