Tumult not political action reduced Turkey’s exports to Israel: Top exporter

ISTANBUL

DHA photos

Turkey’s exports to Israel declined by almost 10 percent in July due to the turmoil in the region, not because Turkish firms refused to sell goods to the country, the head of the country’s top exporters association said, criticizing the “unconscious” boycott of Israeli goods in protest at the Gaza violence.

Speaking to reporters at a news conference yesterday, Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TİM) Chairman Mehmet Büyükekşi said goods sent to the country “unfortunately” dropped by 9.4 percent in July.

“The reason behind this, according to me, is related to the chaos that is currently occurring there rather than if the markets sell [goods] or not,” he said. “If there is no peace in a country, there won’t be trade either.”

He said the decline in exports should be regarded as a mutual responsibility, also expressing his wish for an end to the situation.

“Hopefully, this situation will come to an end,” he said.

The exporters’ representative also criticized the course of boycott of Israeli goods over the nation’s ramped-up offensive against the Gaza Strip that has led to the death of over 1,800 Palestinians.

“This issue went to the wrong place in Turkey. The products declared and the products boycotted don’t match. I don’t want to name any brands but some of the goods that people said not to use are already being produced in Turkey, they are not imported,” he said.

“There should be more consciousness regarding these kinds of situations. Not using a product used in Turkey hurts the Turkish economy,” he said, highlighting “a perception problem.”

He also said it was hard to determine the nationality or owner of many companies in today’s globalized world, as many companies are traded on the stock exchange.