Trade Ministry statement on trade with Israel: Since May 2, 2024

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Trade, it was noted: "The report created by an individual who is wanted for various terror-related crimes, has fled abroad, and is acting as an influence agent for anti-Turkey intelligence organizations, aimed at creating the implication and perception that Turkey is still trading with Israel, is based on lies and distortions. For more than 1.5 years, against Israel's aggression toward Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria, and its genocide in Gaza, our Turkey—led by our President—has been the leading country in the world in providing the most courageous struggle in the fields of diplomacy, trade, law, health, and humanitarian aid. This reality is appreciated by Palestinians, the Palestinian government, the entire Islamic world, and other countries and peoples with a conscience."

"In the face of Israel intensifying its genocide and displacement in Gaza, and as some European countries have begun to raise their voices, the fabrication of this report—which attempts to give the impression that 'Turkey is continuing trade with Israel in 2024' despite the original English version of the report not mentioning Turkey—and the fact that some media outlets that are hostile to the Islamic Movement in Palestine and even label it a terrorist organization, but are in reality Israel-sympathizers, have embraced it, clearly reveals their collaboration with a fugitive terrorist. We have been fighting against the lies and slanders on this subject for 1.5 years, and we will continue to fight even more strongly. To date, we have revealed the facts with figures, data, and information hundreds of times," the statement said.

"TRADE WITH ISRAEL HAS BEEN ZERO SINCE MAY 2, 2024"

Stating that trade with Israel is zero, the Ministry of Trade declared: "Firstly, in the 7-month period between October 7, 2023, and May 2, 2024, while efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the region and improve the situation were ongoing, Turkey reduced its trade with Israel by approximately 30 percent. By the decision of our government, as Turkey, we stopped exports to Israel in 1,019 products under 54 headings in the first phase on April 9, 2024. Meanwhile, it has been repeatedly emphasized that trade with Israel in the period after October 7, 2023, was conducted by private sector organizations and foreign-capital investors. Three weeks later, on May 2, 2024, with the decision taken by our government, all exports, imports, and transit trade in all product groups from Turkey to Israel were completely stopped. No trade transactions with Israel can be conducted at customs or in our free zones. Trade with Israel has been zero since May 2, 2024."

"THE EXPORT FIGURE IS COMPLETELY FALSE"

"The 2.8 billion dollar export figure from Turkey to Israel in 2024 given in the report is also completely false. Before our decision to stop trade on May 2, 2024, exports in the first 4 months of 2024 amounted to 1 billion 522 million dollars, which also includes exports made to Palestine," the statement noted, adding the following:

"In addition, in response to the request of the West Bank-Ramallah-based Palestinian government to trade with Turkey for Palestine's urgent needs, a unique controlled trade mechanism was developed in accordance with the 'Turkey-Palestine State Protocol' signed on June 7, 2024. Exports from Turkey to Palestine, conducted under the practice of granting limited permits where only the importer is Palestinian, the destination address is in Palestine, and every application is strictly controlled by our Ministry of Trade, amounted to 797 million dollars in total for 2024. These figures are fixed by the Ministry of Trade customs data and TUIK data. On the other hand, this small amount of trade conducted with Palestinian territories can only be carried out through Israel's two ports, as Palestine has no port or customs of its own."

"THE REPORT IS ENTIRELY SLANDEROUS"

The statement concluded: "As can be seen, the distorted report is entirely slanderous, aimed at creating the perception that 'Turkey is still exporting to Israel.' It is clear that it aims to discredit Turkey's and our government's policies and measures against Israel's genocides and to serve Israel's interests outright. The facts are clear. The data in our attached table is fixed. Turkey has waived 9.5 billion dollars of foreign trade with Israel based on 2022 data—7 billion dollars of which were exports—to support the Palestinian cause and innocent Palestinians. We respectfully present to the attention of our public that the official, factual, and statistical data-based statements of our government and our Ministry of Trade should be relied upon, and that the lies, distortions, and cherry-picked reports of fugitive terrorists acting as influence agents for Israel should not be taken into account."

News Source: İHA