Erdogan estimates terminated Israeli-Turkish trade to cost $9.5 Bln
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The Turkish President told reporters that the West "works for Israel," and cited that Ankara could not remain "tolerant in the face of the killing of Palestinians."
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives to speak at a presser after Friday noon prayer in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 3, 2024 (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Friday that Ankara decided to terminate all trade with "Israel" which he claimed to be at $9.5 Bln, as he expressed the Israeli occupation already enjoys Western support, particularly that of the US.
After announcing yesterday that Turkey will halt trade with "Israel", despite it being worth approximately $7 billion per year, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat announced on Friday, during a conference set to reveal April trade figures, that the trading halt will remain until a permanent ceasefire and humanitarian aid are secured in the Gaza Strip.
Bolat emphasized, "We decided to stop exports and imports to and from Israel until a permanent ceasefire is achieved (in Gaza) and humanitarian aid is allowed without interruption."
The trade minister further stressed that "Israel's" attitude, which he described as "uncompromising", coupled with the worsening situation in Gaza's southern Rafah region, had prompted Ankara to take the decision to halt trade with Tel Aviv.
Erdogan detailed to reporters that "The entire West is working for Israel. They work for Israel, especially the United States," adding that the "poor and unfortunate people of Palestine were doomed to die in the face of Israeli bombs. We couldn't remain tolerant in the face of this, so we took steps. The trade volume was $9.5 billion. We ignored it and closed this door."
According to Sputnik's analysis of Turkey's foreign trade figures, the nation exported $5.4 billion to Israel and purchased $1.6 billion in Israeli goods in 2023.
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.
An Israeli overreaction
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).
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted on X, "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.
