Turkey has announced that it will not resume its approximately $7 billion annual trade with Israel until a permanent ceasefire is established in Gaza that allows for uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
This declaration was made by Turkey’s Trade Minister Omer Bolat during a speech in Istanbul where he was discussing April trade figures. Bolat highlighted Israel’s intransigent stance and the deteriorating situation in Gaza as the reasons for Turkey’s decision to halt trade.
This action makes Turkey the first major trading partner of Israel to suspend exports and imports in response to Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, responded to Turkey’s decision by criticizing Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s approach, describing it as a violation of international trade agreements and saying the decision was “how a dictator behaves,” as quoted by Reuters.
On the other hand, Hamas, the militant group controlling Gaza, commended Turkey’s decision, calling it courageous and supportive of Palestinian rights.
Previously, in response to Israel’s denial of allowing Turkish participation in aid air-drop operations for Gaza, Turkey had already limited exports of steel, fertilizer, and jet fuel among 54 product categories.
Following this recent announcement, all remaining trade, which amounted to $5.4 billion in Turkish exports and $1.6 billion in Israeli imports last year, will now cease. Key Turkish exports to Israel include steel, vehicles, plastics, electrical devices, and machinery, while significant imports from Israel are primarily fuels, totaling $634 million last year according to Turkish trade data.
Relations between the Jewish and Turkish peoples have a long history, with one theory, the Khazar conversion theory, positing that the Jews we know today began as Khazar Turkish converts to Judaism. A more recent development in the relations between these two groups occurred in the Ottoman era, when the Ottoman Empire welcomed Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition in 1492. This influx of Sephardic Jews significantly enriched the cultural and economic life of the Ottoman territories, particularly in cities like Istanbul and Thessaloniki. Over centuries, the Jewish community in Turkey thrived, contributing to the fields of commerce, art, and science. Despite the empire’s eventual decline, Turkey maintained a unique relationship with its Jewish population
One theory even suggests that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkish state, was himself secretly Jewish. The theory primarily stems from his reported connections to the Donmeh, a secretive sect of Turkish Jews who converted outwardly to Islam following the messianic claims of Sabbatai Zevi in the 17th century. This speculation is largely based on anecdotal and circumstantial evidence rather than concrete historical proof. Atatürk, born in Salonika, a city with a significant presence of Donmeh, showed tendencies and reforms in Turkey that were sharply secular, distancing the new Turkish state from Islamic traditions in favor of Western-style modernization. Turkey also distinguished itself from much of Europe during World War II by providing refuge to Jews escaping the Holocaust, which proponents of the Atatürk Donmeh theory claim might suggest some ethnoreligious loyalty.
Modern Turkey-Israel relations began in 1949 when Turkey was among the first Muslim-majority countries to recognize the state of Israel. The two nations enjoyed a close strategic partnership for several decades, particularly in military and intelligence cooperation. However, relations have seen significant tensions since the early 2000s, largely due to differing policies on the Palestinian issue. A notable low point occurred following the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident, where a Turkish flotilla attempting to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza was raided by Israeli forces, resulting in the deaths of ten Turkish activists. This event severely strained diplomatic ties, leading to a mutual recall of ambassadors. Although there have been attempts to restore relations, with a reconciliation agreement reached in 2016, the relationship remains complicated by ongoing regional conflicts and differing political agendas.
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Author: Nicholas Dolinger
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