Turkey’s Trade Ministry announced it will impose trade restrictions on the Jewish State until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
The ban, effective Tuesday, restricts exports to Israel in 54 categories, including cement, steel, and iron construction. In response, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said he would take “parallel measures” against the Arab country.
“Erdogan is once again sacrificing the economic interests of the people of Turkey for his support of the Hamas murderers in Gaza who raped, murdered, and desecrated the bodies of women, girls, adults, and burned children alive,” Katz wrote on X.
“Israel will not give in to violence and extortion and will not condone the one-sided violation of the trade agreements and will take parallel measures against Turkey which will harm the Turkish economy,” he said.
Turkey’s trade ban had led to concerns that it will expand to include regional petroleum and affect El Al flights over Turkish airspace. Israel’s Foreign Ministry has reportedly begun lobbying US lawmakers to impose sanctions on Turkey as further deterrence.
Israel-Turkey relations, have seen fluctuations over the years but had been moving towards normalization before the Israel-Hamas war. Since Oct. 7, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been vocal in his opposition, labeling Israel a “terrorist state” and praising Hamas for “defending its lands.” He has long held disdain for the Jewish State’s leader, often comparing Benjamin Netanyahu to history’s most evil dictators, including Hitler and Stalin.
