The Trade Ministry shared on Sunday an information note seeking to clarify frequently asked questions regarding the trading halt between Türkiye and Israel, reiterating it was enforced since May this year.

The ministry said that "no cargo from Israeli ports or of Israeli origin, that is not included in the Türkiye-Palestine bilateral trade mechanism, is allowed to be unloaded at Turkish ports and no goods are allowed to be loaded from the ports to go to Israel."

Türkiye on May 2, suspended all imports and exports to Israel citing the country’s ongoing military action in Gaza and vowed to continue to impose the measures until the Israeli government allows the flow of humanitarian aid to the region.

The Trade Ministry statement said at the time that "export and import transactions in relation to Israel have been stopped, covering all products."

Refuting claims, mainly originating from social media, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat had earlier strongly rejected allegations about any trade activities with Israel, saying that Ankara suspended all trade in May and continues to impose this.

On Sunday, the ministry shared 15 questions and answers, detailing the chronology of events and the initial ban on exports from Türkiye to Israel that covered 54 groups of products, prior to the full halt in trade exchange.

"No goods are allowed to leave Türkiye unless the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy and Ministry of Trade confirm that the importer and destination are not in Palestine," it said it statement.

Answering the first question "Is trade with Israel continuing after the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Israel?" the ministry recalled that Israel's attacks continued despite the calls and diplomatic efforts, while Türkiye simultaneously extended delivery of humanitarian aid to its "Palestinian brothers and sisters through all suitable channels."

"Total trade with Israel decreased by approximately 32% between Oct. 7, 2023, and May 2, 2024. During this period, Türkiye's exports to Israel decreased by 30%, while its imports from Israel decreased by 43.4%," the ministry said.

"No defense products, military product trade or education cooperation (and similar) has been made with Israel. As of April 9, 2024, the export of 1,019 products in 54 product groups to Israel has been restricted," it added.

"In response to Israel's refusal to agree to a cease-fire, its disregard for United Nations resolutions and its obstruction of aid to civilians, import and export transactions with Israel have been completely halted by the side of our government, covering all products, as of May 2, 2024," it further said.

Question 2: "Does Israel benefit from the Free Trade Agreement with Türkiye?"

Answer: "The agreement is not in effect since trade with Israel has been completely stopped," said the statement.

Question 3: "Do ships leaving Türkiye dock at Israeli ports?"

Answer: "The coastal cities of the State of Palestine are occupied by Israel. For this reason, 98% of the goods sent from Türkiye to Palestine must be delivered to Palestine through the Israeli-controlled Haifa and Ashdod ports."

Trade mechanism

"Upon the insistent request of the Palestinian government and the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy in the bilateral official meeting in Istanbul on June 7, a unique trade mechanism with Palestine was developed, taking into account the Israeli threat at the Haifa Port," the ministry further said.

"No goods are allowed to leave Türkiye unless the importer and destination are confirmed by the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy and the Ministry of Trade," it added.

Other questions and answers varied from how the trade is reflected in Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data to why are exports to neighboring countries increasing, with the ministry providing detailed answers on each of them.

Question 5 for example asks "Why is export to neighboring countries increasing, or are products going to Israel through these countries?"

"There is nothing unusual in the countries where an increase is stated, a similar increase is also seen in other countries," the statement said, citing also a notable surge in exports to other countries such as Niger, Estonia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Serbia and the U.K.

The ministry also states that "According to TurkStat data, there has been no export or import to Israel since May 2024."

Question 6 asks "Do cosmetic products or steel go to Palestine, the country is at war, are these products really going?"

Answer by the ministry notes: "Palestine's population of nearly 6 million needs cleaning products and construction materials. Foreign trade transactions with Palestine are only carried out with the approval and permission of the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy."

Question 9 poses the inquiry "Is it true that trade with Türkiye continues according to official Israeli data?"

The answer states: "Türkiye's trade with Palestine continues. Customs procedures between Israel and Palestine are carried out by Israeli customs authorities in line with the existing protocols. TurkStat figures should be taken into account."

Question 10: "Has the Israeli government reacted to the end of trade with Israel?"

Answer: "Israel has targeted Türkiye's decision on many international platforms. The Israeli minister of Economy has complained to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) about the decision to ban trade."

Oil trade allegations 'unfounded'

Question 11: "Is oil going to Israel via Türkiye?

Answer: "The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources stated in a statement regarding the issue that the allegations that oil was being shipped to Israel via Ceyhan and that Türkiye allowed this were completely unfounded."

Question 12: " Trade with Israel may have stopped, but there is a very high increase in trade with Palestine. Is it normal for a country at war to import so much?"

Answer: "Palestine, with its population of approximately 6 million, sources many products from the world, even though it is under difficult conditions. The increase seems high due to the base effect that occurred when compared to the previous period after the decision to stop trade. Despite this, in fact, trade is behind the previous period."

Question 13: "Did Türkiye send jet fuel to Israel?"

Answer: "Türkiye has never sent jet fuel to Israel. The fuel in question, which is being put into circulation in a manipulative manner, consists of the $641,000 return fuel given to Israeli passenger planes bringing tourists to Türkiye before Israel's attacks on Gaza, which began after Oct. 7, 2023."

Question 14: "Has gunpowder and explosives been exported from Türkiye to Israel?

Answer: "Türkiye has not allowed the sale of any product or service that could be used for military purposes to Israel since the massacre that began on Oct. 7, 2023, but long before that. In addition, defense product exports cannot be made without the permission of the Ministry of National Defense."

Question 15: "Israel does not allow the shipment of goods to Palestine, how do the products get to Palestine?"

Answer: "Israel has banned third-party trade with Palestine only in Gaza, on the grounds of war. As of today, the supply of goods to the West Bank is possible under international agreements."