The government of Turkey has imposed export restrictions on Israel until such time that a ceasefire is reached in the fighting in Gaza. Turkey is one of Israel’s largest trading partners and an extended ban on exports to the country could lead to significant increases in local prices for a large number of products.
However, an export ban would hurt Turkey’s economy more than Israel’s as long as Turkey does not implement an import ban as well. Turkey also benefits from a large number of Israeli tourists visiting the country each year, but direct flights between the nations have been canceled since the October 7 massacre.
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Turkey listed 54 different categories of items that cannot be exported to Israel for now, including iron, marble, steel, cement, aluminum, brick, fertilizer, construction equipment and products, aviation fuel, and more, on the list.
This makes Turkey the first nation to implement such sanctions, as others have threatened to do.
“This decision will remain in place until Israel, under its obligations emanating from international law, urgently declares a ceasefire in Gaza and allows the unhindered flow of sufficient humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip,” said Turkey’s Ministry of Trade.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded sharply to the ban, saying that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was “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 went on to say that Israel will not “submit to violence and extortion” and will not “condone the unilateral violation of the trade agreements and will take parallel measures against Turkey that will harm the Turkish economy.”
Israel’s Foreign Minister added that he intends to implement a boycott of Turkish products not included in the export ban and instructed that a list of products be drawn up that Israel will prevent Turkey from exporting to it.
Katz also made plans to contact countries and organizations in the US asking them to cease investments in Turkey and to try and prevent the import of products from Turkey to America.
He is also asking members of the U.S. Congress to investigate whether or not Turkey is now in violation of American laws prohibiting any boycotts of Israel and to impose sanctions.
However, any such action by American authorities would take time, would require the White House to take action and then Turkey would have time to reverse its policy. So, this move is moot because the war in Gaza will not last that long.
