Türkiye has upheld its trade ban on Israel, allowing imports only from businesses associated with the Palestinian Authority at the request of Palestinian officials, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said Wednesday.
Türkiye has fully suspended trade with Israel as of May 2, halting both exports and imports at customs due to Israel’s refusal to agree to a cease-fire in Gaza and its obstruction of humanitarian aid deliveries to the enclave, Bolat told reporters on the sidelines of an international industrial forum meeting in Istanbul.
He explained that Turkish customs authorities initially slowed down processing for Israel-related trade, leading to a 30%-40% decrease in trade volume each month. However, on April 9, Türkiye took a stronger stance by stopping exports of 1,019 products across 54 categories to Israel, he said.
"On May 2, we fully halted all trade with Israel at customs, suspending both exports and imports," Bolat said. "No registration processes are being carried out for Israel, and our customs system remains closed to Israeli trade."
The Trade Ministry imposed export restrictions on 54 categories of products to Israel in April before completely halting exports and imports in early May.
At the time, Türkiye said it would not resume trade with Israel, worth $7 billion a year, until a permanent cease-fire and humanitarian aid were secured in Gaza, becoming the first of Israel's key commercial partners to take such a step.
Despite the suspension with Israel, Türkiye has made an exception for Palestinian imports. "At the persistent request of the Palestinian government and the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy, we are allowing imports from Palestinian businesses with approval from the Palestinian Ministry," Bolat said.
The minister reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to supporting Palestine while maintaining a firm stance on Israel’s actions in the region.
"In the face of Israel’s aggression, brutality and actions amounting to genocide, we have taken every possible step on international platforms to end this," he said.
The minister, in an interview with private broadcaster A Para on Wednesday, reiterated Türkiye's May halt of trade while pointing to the country's humanitarian efforts amid the crisis in Gaza.
He said that the Palestinian population in Gaza and the occupied West Bank does not have access to ports and that most goods shipped to these regions are done via two large Israeli-controlled ports.
He also recalled that Türkiye signed a free trade agreement with the Palestinian Authority in 2005.
Bolat refuted claims over trade with Israel, underscoring that "custom processes are not being done," while also noting Türkiye was the only country to have implemented such a move.
Flouting a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, last October.
More than 42,400 people have since been killed, most of them women and children, and over 99,000 injured, according to local health authorities.
The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of Gaza amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its actions in Gaza.