Turkey Rejects Israeli Foreign Minister's Statements on 'Lifting Trade Bans'

Omer Bulat, Turkey's Minister of Commerce, stated on Thursday, May 20, that Israel's claims about lifting trade bans with Turkey are 'completely fabricated and unrelated to reality.' Mr. Bulat added on his official social media account that the ban will continue until a permanent ceasefire is achieved in Gaza and humanitarian aid is guaranteed. In this context, Reuters reported, citing a source in the Turkish Ministry of Commerce, that reducing trade bans with Israel is 'impossible' and companies have three months to fulfill existing orders through third countries. Meanwhile, Israel Katz, Israel's Foreign Minister, claimed on Thursday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lifted many of the trade bans imposed against Israel by retreating from his previous position. Last week, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, Turkey announced the suspension of its trade relations with Israel. In response to Turkey's decision, Katz wrote on social media: 'This is the behavior of a dictator who disregards the interests of the Turkish people and merchants... and international trade agreements.' Katz stated that he has instructed his ministry to focus on domestic production and imports from other countries to replace trade with Turkey. According to Abbas Vali, a political science professor, Turkey under Erdogan prioritizes Hamas over the Palestinian Authority, similar to the Islamic Republic. The volume of trade between Israel and Turkey reached $6.8 billion in 2023. Last Tuesday, Israeli police shot dead a Turkish citizen who attacked a police officer in Jerusalem with a knife. Following the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the kidnapping of over 250 others, Israel launched an invasion of Gaza aimed at destroying this Iran-backed Islamist group and recovering the hostages. Hamas officials have repeatedly emphasized since the October 7 attack that they will carry out similar attacks if possible. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. The Turkish attacker 'armed with a knife' was killed by Israeli forces in Jerusalem. Bloomberg sources: Turkey has suspended trade relations with Israel; Israel Katz: This is 'the behavior of a dictator.' The mayor of Istanbul, Erdogan's rival, called Hamas a 'terrorist organization.' Erdogan: NATO radar in Turkey had no role in intercepting missiles from the Islamic Republic towards Israel. The Wall Street Journal: Hamas is seeking to relocate its political office outside of Qatar.