January 21, 2025 09:03 GMT
ISRAEL: Snr Turkish Official-Trade Might Restart w/Lasting Gaza Peace
ISRAEL
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Reports relaying comments from the head of Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Board Nail Olpak claiming that Turkey's trade with Israel may restart if the ceasefire in Gaza becomes permanent. During the course of the conflict in Gaza relations between the gov'ts of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hit rock bottom.
- The Turkish president has been one of the most vocal critics of the actions of the Israeli military in Gaza. In May 2024, the Turkish gov't imposed a trade ban on Israel. After this, Israel's then-foreign minister Israel Katz referred to Erdogan as a 'dictator'. BBC: "Israel was Turkey's 13th biggest export market in 2023, receiving 2.1% of Turkish exports last year [2023]. Turkey was Israel's fifth biggest source of imports last year [2023]."
- By late-2024 Reuters was reporting on efforts by the Turkish gov't to close loopholes that involved exports to the Palestinian Authorities.
- Prior to the war in Gaza, there had been clear signs of an improvement in relations. Indeed, just weeks before the 7 October attacks Netanyahu and Erdogan met in person for the first time.
- The last major setback for Turkish-Israeli relations - the Gaza flotilla raid in 2010 - was exacerbated by the reciprocal expulsions of ambassadors in subsequent years, taking painstaking diplomacy to get to the 2023 meeting. As such, while a restoration of trade may prove possible, reaching a point of regular political contact is likely to take much longer.
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