Turkey halts trade with Israel

Turkey has suspended all exports and imports with Israel as of Tursday, according to two Turkish officials briefed on the matter, as reported by Bloomberg. Official statements from Turkey are pending.

Bilateral trade in 2023 amounted to 6.8 billion dollars, with Turkish exports comprising 76%, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute. Last month, Turkey had already curtailed exports to Israel due to the Gaza conflict.

Israel's Foreign Minister, Beny Gantz, accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of breaching agreements, announcing plans to block Turkish ports. Gantz directed his ministry staff to explore alternative solutions, emphasizing local production and imports from other countries.