Turkey’s Trade Embargo Against Israel Remains Firm Until Ceasefire Established

Contrary to Israeli assertions, Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat has declared that Turkey’s trade embargo against Israel remains firmly in place and will continue until a lasting ceasefire is established in Gaza and humanitarian assistance flows into the region. These comments were made in a social media post published on X. In response, Israel’s foreign minister claimed that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had recently relinquished his former stance and rescinded several of the trade limitations he previously imposed on Israel. However, Turkish news sources reported that Israeli media outlet Globes had issued a report stating that Turkey had authorized the resumption of exports to Israel, although this concession was reportedly temporary and restricted to enterprises that had already collaborated with Israel. Additionally, a source from Turkey’s Trade Ministry revealed that the country would permit firms with existing business ties to Israel to export their products through third nations for a period of three months following the trade suspension, as reported by Reuters. Nevertheless, the same source informed Reuters that any relaxation of the export ban was currently off the table. No further details regarding the negotiations were disclosed, but it has been reported that U.S. Envoy Robert Malley has been meeting with officials from Egypt and Qatar in recent days as part of ongoing efforts to end the seven-month conflict between Israel and Hamas. All three parties have been actively engaged in these diplomatic endeavors.