Türkiye halts trade with Israel amidst shifting global currents

In the past few days, Türkiye took two significant steps against Israel’s attacks in Gaza, which have claimed the lives of more than 35,000 Palestinians in the last six months.

First, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced Türkiye’s decision to join in the case brought by the Republic of South Africa against Israel for genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Second, on May 2, the Ministry of Trade declared that it had completely halted trade with Israel, which it had previously restricted in 54 items.

The statement emphasized that the implementation would continue until the Israeli government under Binyamin Netanyahu allows “uninterrupted and sufficient” humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Most recently, during a joint press conference with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Ankara, President Tayyip Erdoğan had responded, “that matter is closed,” when asked about the trade with Israel.

Timing of the decision to halt trade with Israel

Finalizing the decision was expected upon Fidan’s return from the Riyadh meeting of the Gaza Contact Group of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League on April 28-29. While in Riyadh, Fidan also met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Fontelles during the World Economic Forum meetings.

During Fontelles’ presence in Riyadh, he mentioned that several EU countries might recognize Palestine as a state by the end of May to put pressure on Israel. Among them are expected to be Spain, Belgium, Ireland, Slovenia, and Malta.

It appears that Türkiye decided to escalate its actions when it did not receive indications from Western countries, following Fidan’s discussions with Fontelles and Blinken, that they would exert more pressure on Israel to cut military aid and increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.

President Erdoğan will attend the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Summit in Banjul, Gambia, on May 4-5 with these decisions in hand. This move aims to set an example for Muslim countries that are hesitant to take a firmer stance against Israel and contribute to the growing public pressure against Israel in the West.

Abbas, Haniyeh, Netanyahu

Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech at the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, where he spoke about “Israel’s right to security and the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination,” also caused a stir. Abbas had not previously been so explicit about Israel’s right to exist. This rhetoric undermines Israel’s narrative that “the goal of the Palestinians is to destroy us.”

The acceptance of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh by Erdoğan in Istanbul on April 20, and even Abbas’ statements, are indications of the changing and hardening atmosphere, as Netanyahu now says he will attack Hamas even if it releases prisoners.

This situation rekindles the danger of the war spreading, which was calmed down last month by Israel’s attack on Iran’s representative office in Syria, followed by Iran’s pre-announced airstrikes on Israel.

As the international climate turns against Israel, the Netanyahu government’s increasing rigidity is mainly due to the US elections. Both President Joe Biden and his rival Donald Trump do not want to antagonize the pro-Israel lobby in the United States. In this atmosphere, the decision of the US Congress to allocate an additional $26 billion in aid to Israel will further escalate tensions in the region.