Bloomberg: Turkey suspends all trade with 'Israel'
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The Israeli occupation believes Turkey's Erdogan is breaching agreements by barring ports for commerce.
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A ship of Freedom Flotilla Coalition anchors at Tuzla seaport in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, April 19, 2024 (AP)
Turkey has halted all exports and imports to and from "Israel", citing two Turkish officials as reported by Bloomberg.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and foreign and commerce ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In 2023, the two parties' combined trade volume was $6.8 billion.
Last month the Turkish Trade Ministry announced the restriction of exports of certain products to "Israel". It underscored that the restriction will continue until "Israel" implements a cease-fire and allows “sufficient and uninterrupted flow" of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
At the time, the Israeli Foreign Minister accused Erdogan of prioritizing support for "Hamas over Turkey's economic interests."
When asked about Turkey's continuous commerce with Israel despite Ankara's harsh language, Erdogan claimed last month that Turkey no longer engages in "intense trade" with the occupation, explaining "that is done". He did not say Ankara had shut off all commerce with "Israel," however.
The Israeli occupation's foreign minister responded by calling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a "dictator", accusing him of ignoring the interests of the people of Turkey by restricting ports for Israeli imports and exports.
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A screenshot of the Israeli minister of foreign affairs on X (X)
Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted on X that "This is how a dictator behaves, disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen, and ignoring international trade agreements."
Katz said he instructed the foreign ministry to work to create alternatives for trade with Turkey, focusing on local production and imports from other countries.
On another note, some social media activists shed doubts over the reports, as they posted screenshots from maritime traffic websites showing that container ships that departed Turkey are still bound to Israeli-occupied ports of Palestine.
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Turkey to join South Africa in genocide case against 'Israel' at ICJ
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced on Wednesday, in a joint press conference with Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in Ankara, that Turkey intends to participate in South Africa's case against "Israel" for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
"Upon completion of the legal text of our work, we will submit the declaration of official intervention before the ICJ with the objective of implementing this political decision," Fidan added.
"Turkey will continue to support the Palestinian people in all circumstances," he stressed.
In January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) directed "Israel" to abstain from actions potentially falling under the Genocide Convention and to guarantee that its military does not engage in genocidal activities against Palestinians, following South Africa's accusation of committing genocide in Gaza.
President Tayyip Erdogan stated in January that Turkey was furnishing evidence for the ICJ case, also referred to as the World Court.
In November 2023, the governing Justice and Development Party attorneys said that Turkey had filed a case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing him of committing genocide against the Palestinians.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed to reporters on November 4 that Turkey is no longer considering Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as its "interlocutor", but the head of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization, Ibrahim Kalin, remains in contact with "Israel".
