By Ugur Aslanhan
ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye has upheld its trade ban on Israel, allowing imports only for the Palestinian Authority at the request of Palestinian officials, trade minister announced 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 ceasefire in Gaza and its obstruction of humanitarian aid deliveries to the enclave, Omer Bolat told reporters on the sidelines of an international industrial forum meeting in Istanbul.
Bolat 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.”
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 confirmed.
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.
*Writing by Emir Yildirim