Turkish Minister of Trade Omer Bolat has confirmed that his country’s trade with Israel has been completely suspended since May 2.
“Export-import deals with Israel have been completely suspended since May 2. These processes are being stopped because Israel has failed to fulfill the demand for a ceasefire in Gaza. Our stance on this issue is clear and well-known,” he noted.
Bolat said earlier that the Turkish government’s decision to suspend trade relations with Israel will remain in force until Israel stops its attacks on Gaza, observes a permanent ceasefire, and ensures the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
The relations between Israel and Turkey deteriorated sharply amid the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October last year. The parties have often leveled bitter accusations at each other. On April 9, the Ministry of Trade of Turkey introduced trade restrictions on Israel regarding 54 types of goods, including construction materials, industrial equipment and metal products.
