Turkish restrictions on 'Israel' spark isolation fear: Israeli analyst
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The timing of Turkey's decision may not be coincidental as it follows local elections, and could thus indicate broader political motivations or strategies behind Turkey's decision.
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The flag of Turkey flies above Turkish House, which has the Consulate General of Turkey and Turkey's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, in New York, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023. (AP)
A commentary published on X by Israeli analyst Gallia Lindenstrauss for the Israeli research institute INSS detailed that Turkey's recent decision to limit the export of 54 products to "Israel," including vital materials like cement and steel, has raised alarms within the Israeli construction sector and sparked broader concerns about bilateral relations.
This comes after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan denounced on Monday "Israel's" rejection of aid airlifts to Gaza, promising new measures against the regime. The following day, the Turkish Trade Ministry announced the implementation of export restrictions.
"There’s a fear, however, that Turkey will take additional measures against Israel (in the context of the transit of goods—particularly oil on its way to Israel—as well as restrictions on the use of its airspace), and that other countries will join an economic boycott of Israel and then the consequences will be much more extensive," Lindenstrauss says.
The Turkish government justified these restrictions on the basis of aid restrictions to Gaza by "Israel". However, analysts claim that domestic pressures and public sentiment played a more significant role in this decision. It is such because "in practice, Turkey transfers a lot of humanitarian aid to Gaza," Lindenstrauss says, without providing evidence to support her claim.
Lindenstrauss suggests that the timing of Turkey's decision may not be coincidental as it follows local elections, and could thus indicate broader political motivations or strategies behind Turkey's decision.
Other experts suggest that Turkey may be seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in "Israel's" international standing or even contribute to its weakening amidst regional tensions, especially towards Iran.
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A possible explanation that should be of greater concern to the Israeli leadership is that the Turks "estimate that given Israel's weakness and the strengthening of international criticism, particularly at the White House, for failing to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, it’s possible to pass such a decision, which would have previously been seen as a defiant step outside of Israel as well," Lindenstrauss says.
"An even more worrying explanation is that Turkey may be deliberately trying to contribute to the weakening of Israel in preparation for the expansion of the war to also a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran."
While Turkey may have hoped that these restrictions would pressure "Israel" into accommodating its political ambitions, analysts say that the move is instead expected to deepen mistrust and have long-term consequences for bilateral relations, the commentary says.
"Israel," meanwhile, is facing an avalanche of issues, both domestically and internationally, with trade restrictions representing just a fraction of the issues at hand.
