Türkiye-Israel trade volume declines markedly as Israel's Gaza offensive continues

By Ayse Bocuoglu Bodur

ANKARA (AA) — The trade volume between Türkiye and Israel has declined significantly since Israel's offensive on Gaza began last year, data from the Turkish Trade Ministry suggests.

From Oct. 7 to March 20 this year, the total Türkiye-Israel trade volume fell by nearly 33%, according to information compiled by Anadolu from sources in the ministry.

Meanwhile, Türkiye's exports to Israel fell 30%, while its imports decreased by 43.4%.

Turkish nationals and companies have been gradually canceling sales and orders with Israel, while trade is mostly with private firms, including some international ones, rather than state enterprises.

Goods sent from Türkiye to Palestine pass through Israel and its customs gates due to Palestine's lack of its own customs facilities.

Goods destined for Palestine are required to be labeled for Israel or include the phrase "via Israel."

In addition, Israel does not recognize legal relations between Palestine and third countries, while it refuses to allow commercial transactions through the Rafah Border Crossing with Egypt.

As a result, trade between third countries and Palestine is logged overwhelmingly as trade with Israel in data reflected in national statistics.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack in early last October by the Palestinian group, Hamas, killed less than 1,200 people.

Nearly 33,200 Palestinians have since been killed and almost 75,900 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which last week asked it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz