Will the trade ban with Israel be circumvented?

The long-standing public outcry forced the political administration to sever commercial relations with Israel. 

The Ministry of Trade announced that all trade with Israel has been halted.

However, the announcement did not satisfy Turkish exporters. 

FORMULA SOUGHT FOR FIRM ORDERS

Speaking to the UK-based Reuters news agency, the owners of four export companies said they were surprised by Turkey's decision to halt trade with Israel. Turkish exporters with firm orders said they are looking for ways to send their products to Israel via third countries.

The owner of a household goods export company, who attended the meeting where Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat announced foreign trade data and who requested anonymity, stated that the halt in trade has left them in a difficult position, that their products are being held at customs, and that this situation is pushing exporters to seek alternative routes, saying, "We dealt with customs all day yesterday and could not understand what the problem was. The system was shut down before the ban decision was announced."

'THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE WILL ALSO SUFFER'

A food exporter said that the halt in trade also means blocking goods that must pass through Israeli customs to be sent to Palestinian territories. "The Palestinian people will also suffer. We will see if we can send them via Egypt, Jordan, or Lebanon. I don't know how we will get out of this situation," he said.

'WE HAVE COMPANIES WE ARE OWED MONEY BY'

The owner of a company that exports chocolate and confectionery to the region asked, "Our company has products specifically produced for the Israeli market with packaging entirely in Hebrew. It is a huge financial loss for us. We have companies in Israel that owe us money and that we owe money to. What will happen to these receivables when trade stops?" adding that they would seek a solution to the situation after consulting with their commercial partners in Israel.