First published in January 22, 2024, 2:08 pm
Turkey has removed Israel from its list of countries targeted for export in a move that could discourage local businesses from engaging in trade, according to Hebrew media reports published on Sunday. January 2024
It was the first sanctions that Turkiye has taken against Israel since the outbreak of war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip that was prompted by the Palestinian resistance group’s attack on October 7.
Ankara will stop motivating companies to export to Israel and it won’t subsidize or support business with the Jewish state, Channel 12 reported.
The measure is also seen as a signal to business people that if they do go ahead and trade with Israel, the government won’t help them out if there are any complications.
Each year the Turkish Commerce Ministry publishes a list of dozens countries that it directs local companies to build trade ties with. According to Turkish media reports last week, five countries were removed from last year’s list: Israel, Iraq, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan.
Regarding its selection process, the Commerce Ministry said in a statement, “Taking into account the global, political and economic conjuncture, studies have been carried out to determine the target markets to which our companies can be directed in 2024, in line with the aim of increasing our exports.”
It did not specifically mention Israel’s delisting as tied to the war with Hamas saying only it took into consideration and examined “countries within the framework of the Distant Countries Strategy and member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.”
Media reports noted that nine countries were added to the new list: Bangladesh, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Algeria, Czechia, Portugal, Tunisia, Oman and Jordan.
Ties between Israel and Turkey have frayed over the war, which began with Hamas’s October 7 operation Al-Aqsa flood in southern Israel, in which some 1,200 people were killed, most of them Israeli soldiers, and more than 250 were taken hostage under the cover of thousands of rockets.
In response, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza, which has led to the death of over 32,000 innocent Palestinians, including children and women.
Israel recalled its diplomats from Turkey after Erdogan accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza. Turkey later also recalled its ambassador from Israel. The Ankara government has backed South Africa in its accusation of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak, an expert on Turkey at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, told Channel 12 the change means, among other things, “to stop encouraging business cooperation between the countries, such as joint conferences of trade associations.”
Source: The Times of Israel with additional information from Anadolu Agency, Daily Sabah
Note: Use of words/terms such as terrorist for Hamas, among others were edited and replaced based on this medium’s editorial policy.
