Turkish Trade Minister Omer Polat considered, on Thursday, that the Israeli allegations regarding Ankara easing its trade embargo with Israel are merely “pure fantasy and have no relation to reality.”
The minister said in a post on the “X” platform that the trade embargo imposed by Turkey on Israel will remain in place until a permanent ceasefire is reached in Gaza and the flow of humanitarian aid to the Strip is secured.
This comes in response to what the Israeli Foreign Minister said on Thursday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan retracted his previous position and lifted many of the trade restrictions he imposed on Israel, according to his claims.
“Dilution is out of the question”
A source in the Turkish Ministry of Commerce said Thursday that easing the export ban to Israel is “out of the question,” but Ankara will allow companies to fulfill orders already contracted with Israel through a third country for a period of three months.
In a document seen by Reuters, the Ministry of Commerce set a three-month deadline for companies exporting to Israel. Ankara imposed a ban on trade with Israel last week.
Last Thursday, the Turkish Ministry of Trade announced, in a statement on the “X” platform, a complete cessation of commercial dealings with Israel, until humanitarian aid is allowed to enter the Gaza Strip without restrictions.
Turkish economic pressure
On Monday, the Israeli army began a military operation in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, claiming that it was “limited in scope,” and hours before it issued warnings to 100,000 Palestinians to forcibly “evacuate” the east of the city.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that his country had closed the door to trade with Israel and considered the bilateral trade volume of $9.5 billion “non-existent.”
He stated in statements after Friday prayers, that “Israel has so far killed 40,000 – 45,000 Palestinians with all brutality, and as Muslims it is unreasonable for us to remain idly in the face of what is happening,” pointing out that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “merciless, and has shown this on Children, women and the elderly in Gaza.
The Turkish move came after another that preceded it in the context of Ankara’s gradual increase in its economic pressure on the occupation, which depends on Ankara for a long range of commercial goods, led by vegetables and fruits.
Last April, Ankara banned the export of 54 goods to Tel Aviv, most of which were products intertwined with the construction sector, especially iron, marble, cement, steel, and aluminum.
The Turkish Presidency’s Communications Department said in a statement that claims of easing the trade embargo with Israel aim to “manipulate world public opinion.” The trade volume between Türkiye and Israel reached $6.8 billion in 2023.
