Turkey halts all trade with Israel over war in Gaza

Turkey stopped all trade with Israel as of Thursday, according to two Turkish officials familiar with the matter, adding to already high-running tensions between the once-close allies over the war in Gaza. 

The move expands last month’s restriction on some Turkish exports to Israel, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan steps up criticism of the Jewish state and tries to consolidate support among conservative voters at home.

Ankara hasn’t formally announced the suspension and it wasn’t clear under what conditions trade would resume. 

Trade between the countries was worth $6.8 billion in 2023, of which 76% was Turkish exports, according to the Turkish statistical institute.

“This is the behavior of a dictator who tramples the interests of the Turkish people and business community, while ignoring international trade agreements.” Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X. 

The Israeli government will work to create immediate alternatives for trade with Turkey by increasing local manufacturing and finding other suppliers, he said. Turkey’s biggest export to Israel in 2023 was iron and steel. It’s biggest import was refined oil products, according to the Turkish statistical institute. 

The move came a day after Turkey announced plans to join South Africa’s case at the United Nations’ highest court as a plaintiff accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Palestinian territory.

Israel and Turkey restored diplomatic ties last August after a decade of tensions and were exploring ways to increase cooperation until Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish state, sparking the war. The conflict has triggered a popular backlash across the Arab world and even in the US.

Erdogan called Hamas militants “freedom fighters” and repeatedly criticized Israel’s conduct in the war, which health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza say has killed 34,000 Palestinians. Unlike the US and European Union, Turkey doesn’t consider the group a terrorist organization. 

Erdogan hosted Hamas’s political leader in Istanbul on April 20, calling for immediate aid to Gaza.