Turkey’s exports to “Israel” nearly ceased in May after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration halted trade until sufficient humanitarian aid reached Gaza.
According to preliminary data from Turkey’s main exporters association, shipments to “Israel” plummeted 99% year-on-year to $4.4 million. The official statistics service, TurkStat, is set to release comprehensive trade data, including imports, later in June.
At the beginning of last month, the Turkish Trade Ministry announced that trade relations with “Israel” would be suspended until Tel Aviv allowed for the “uninterrupted and sufficient flow” of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The decision comes in response to the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza.
Turkish exports to ‘Israel’ plummet in May amid trade suspension
Turkish exports to “Israel” have dropped by 40% in the first five months compared to last year, as per data provided by Turkey Exporters Assembly.
Before the outbreak of the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza, Ankara and Tel Aviv were in the process of normalizing their relations following a decade of tensions. The Israeli Economy Ministry reported that the total trade volume between them was $6.8 billion last year.
It is worth noting that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan escalated his criticism of “Israel” following significant losses for his ruling party in March’s local elections across the nation. Part of the blame for these setbacks has been attributed to the government’s relatively restrained reaction to the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
Last week, Erdogan took a jab at the United Nations and urged the Islamic world to react after the Israeli occupation’s massacres in Rafah.
Erdogan further stressed, “The UN cannot even protect its own staff. What are you waiting for to act? The spirit of the United Nations is dead in Gaza.”
Addressing the lawmakers, Erdogan also criticized the Islamic world for failing to take common action over the Israeli massacres, as he said, “I have some words to say to the Islamic world: what are you waiting for to take a common decision?”
“Israel is not just a threat to Gaza but to all of humanity,” he stressed.
“No state is safe as long as Israel does not follow international law and does not feel bound by international law,” Erdogan added, emphasizing that “Israel” is committing genocide in Gaza.
