Turkey imposes a halt on all exports to and imports from Israel starting today, Thursday, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg, without an official announcement having been made so far.
Trade between Israel and Turkey was valued at $6.8 billion in 2023, with 76% of it relating to exports from Turkey, according to the Turkish statistical service.
On Thursday, Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, wrote on Twitter that “this is how a dictator (Erdogan) acts, who tramples on the interests of the Turkish people and businesses and ignores international trade agreements,” adding that “Israel has a strong economy. We win and they lose.”
Last month, Turkey announced that it would restrict exports to Israel, claiming that Tel Aviv refused to allow it to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, and after its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was criticized for not halting trade with Israel after the start of the war.
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The Turkish Ministry of Trade then announced that it would impose restrictions on the exports of 54 products that could be used for military purposes. The list included dozens of products, including: iron, construction machinery, construction sealing products, construction glass, marble, metal processing machinery, chemical fertilizers, adhesives, cement, and aluminum.
Yesterday, Ankara announced that it would collaborate with South Africa and support the lawsuit filed against Israel in The Hague.
