Turkiye has announced a complete suspension of all economic and commercial relations with Israel, and will close its airspace to Israeli aircraft, in response to Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza and neighbouring countries.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made the announcement on Friday during an extraordinary session of the Turkish Parliament convened to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
“Israel’s reckless attacks on Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iran are the clearest sign of a terrorist state mentality that defies the international order,” Fidan told lawmakers.
Fidan added that Turkiye had signed a joint international initiative at the United Nations, alongside 52 other nations, calling for an immediate halt to the supply of weapons and ammunition to Israel.
In May last year, Turkiye declared it would halt all trade with Israel unless humanitarian aid was allowed to reach Gaza without obstruction.
A free trade agreement between the two countries has been in place since 1997, with steel, oil and plastics among the main goods traded. Bilateral trade reached nearly $6.8 billion in 2023, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute, with over 75 per cent comprising Turkish exports.
In the same parliamentary session, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly called on the United Nations and other international bodies to revoke Israel’s membership, citing alleged violations of international law and ongoing civilian casualties in Gaza.
