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Turkey stops trade with Israel until irreversible Gaza ceasefire

Turkey stated on Friday it will not resume trade with Israel, worth $7 billion a year, until an irreversible ceasefire and humanitarian help are protected in Gaza, becoming the first of Israel's essential business partners to take such an action.

Israel's uncompromising attitude and the getting worse circumstance in Gaza's Rafah region, a refuge for displaced people that Israel has threatened to storm - triggered Ankara to halt all exports and imports, Trade Minister Omer Bolat said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz criticised Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's move, enacted late on Thursday, saying it breaks worldwide trade contracts and was how a. totalitarian acts.

The militant group Hamas, which rules Gaza, applauded the. decision as brave and encouraging of Palestinian rights.

It marks Ankara's greatest action after months of sharp. criticism of Israel's military campaign, which has desolated. the densely inhabited Palestinian enclave. Erdogan had dealt with. growing domestic calls for more concrete action.

Turkey could not stay idle in the face of Israeli. bombardment of defenceless Palestinians, Erdogan said after. Friday prayers. Israel says it is targeting militants hiding in. houses.

Erdogan later on told Turkish service people that Ankara would. handle problems originating from this decision in coordination and. discussion with its organization world, including he believed this would. function as an example for other countries that are unpleasant. with the present situation.

I desire this to be understood: we aren't chasing bitterness or. a fight with any nation in our region, Erdogan said, adding he. knew how the West will assault us over the relocation.

We have a single goal here: to require the (Israeli Prime. Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu management, which has actually left. control with the West's genuine military and diplomatic. support, to a ceasefire, he included.

Bolat stated Turkey was in talks with Palestinian brothers on. alternative plans to make sure that they are not impacted by. this choice.

Last month, Turkey suppressed exports of steel, fertiliser and. jet fuel among 54 item categories over what it stated was. Israel's refusal to enable Ankara to participate in help air-drop. operations for Gaza.

BIG HIT TO TRADE

The brand-new ban covers all staying trade, amounting to $5.4. billion in Turkish exports - or nearly 6% of all of Israel's. imports - and $1.6 billion in imports to Turkey in 2015.

Top Turkish exports to Israel are steel, lorries, plastics,. electrical gadgets and equipment, while imports are dominated by. fuels at $634 million last year, Turkish trade information reveal.

Wall Street bank JPMorgan said the halt may marginally raise. rate pressures for goods in Israel in the short-term.

4 Turkish exporters informed the relocation blindsided them. and left those with firm orders trying to find ways to send out items. to Israel through third countries.

Katz said blocking ports for Israeli imports and exports. ignores trade offers, adding on social networks platform X that. Israel would pursue options for trade with Turkey.

Nevertheless, Meltem Saribeyoglu-Skalar, professor at Marmara. University's Professors of Law, said the move is likely a legal. counter-measure by Turkey against Israeli breaches of. universally accepted rules of humanitarian law in Gaza.

Turkey has denounced Israel's military project in Gaza,. sent thousands of tons of aid for Gazans and, today, stated it. would sign up with South Africa's genocide case versus Israel at the. International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Israel rejects committing acts of genocide in Gaza or. breaking humanitarian law there.

Sinan Ulgen, a previous Turkish diplomat and director of the. Centre for Economic and Diplomacy Researches, stated the relocation is. widely backed by Turks provided the the typical opinion that the. government's response towards Israel has been insufficient.

The Turkish Exporters Assembly said the country would have. to trim year-end export targets towards $260 billion from $267. billion unless trade resumes with Israel in a number of months. Exports to Israel are down 24% through April this year compared. with 2023, its information show.

(source: Reuters)