On Türkiye’s restriction of exports to Israel

Türkiye banned some exports to Israel. The ban includes 54 products including cement, steel, aluminum and iron construction materials.

The decision came just after Israel “blocked our attempt to airlift aid to starving Gazans”, as stated the Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan. The Turkish Minister of Trade, Ömer Bolat stated that Israel is preventing access to “the most basic food, medical care and supplies” to Gaza.

UWI author Onur Sinan Güzaltan was guest to Russia Today’s live program on the issue.

Turkish political scientist Onur Sinan Güzaltan, you are most welcome. Is this a relatively simple trade issue, or could wider issues now emerge and come to the fore?

Firstly, the Turkish government should have taken this decision earlier. It’s a late, but accurate decision. I hope that Türkiye won’t stop here with just restricting trade but take more and more actions and implement sanctions on the Israeli government which is committing a genocide in Gaza. The Turkish public were and is also demanding that from its government with demonstrations all over the country. I hope it is the first part of such successive steps.

The Israeli foreign minister vowed to respond “similarly”. What kind of power has Israel to actually harm Türkiye?

It is known that there are Israeli lobbies are operating against Türkiye in the US and Europe in economic-financial domain for a long time. The Türkiye-Israel relation was not going well for a time, the conflict has not erupted out of a sudden. Israel is supporting the YPG/PKK terrorist organization in the north of Syria, which acts against Türkiye.

I think Israel won’t stop supporting the YPG/PKK terrorist organization and the lobbying against Türkiye. But Türkiye is a big and strong country. We have enough power to stand against Israel and the US backing it.

Thank you very much for coming to the program.