Israeli claims of Ankara easing trade ban 'fictional’: Minister

ANKARA

Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat has dismissed Israeli claims of Türkiye easing its trade ban on Israel, labeling them as "absolutely fictional and disconnected from reality."

In a social media post on May 9, Bolat stressed that Türkiye will maintain the trade ban until a lasting ceasefire in Gaza is achieved and humanitarian aid is ensured to the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

This response from Bolat follows Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz’s claims that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “had reversed his stance and lifted several trade restrictions on Israel.”

An Israeli finance newspaper also claimed that the Turkish Trade Ministry sent letters to local construction factories informing them that they have been granted temporary permission to resume exports to Israel.

Initially restricting exports to Israel for certain product categories on April 9, Ankara escalated to a complete halt of trade between the two nations by May 2, vowing to continue to impose the measures until the Israeli government allows the flow of humanitarian aid to the war-torn Gaza Strip.

According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, Türkiye exported goods worth $5.43 billion to Israel in 2023, a decrease from $7.03 billion in 2022 and $6.36 billion in 2021.

"We had a trade volume of $9.5 billion between us. Disregarding this trade volume, we have closed this door," Erdoğan said on May 3.