Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday defended Turkey’s diplomatic and trade ties with Israel, saying these relations do not harm the Palestinian cause.

Fidan’s statement came in response to a query submitted by Mahmut Tanal, a lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), concerning a possible suspension of diplomatic relations with Israel following its attacks on Gaza.

After Palestinian militant organization Hamas launched attacks on southern Israel from the Palestinian enclave of Gaza on October 7 that killed 1,200 people and resulted in the taking of 240 hostages, Israel retaliated by pounding Gaza, leading to thousands of civilian casualties.

“Will diplomatic relations with the State of Israel be suspended? Are there any sanctions that your ministry has imposed or intends to impose in response to Israel’s inhumane treatment of Palestine? If no decision on sanctions has been taken, what is the reason for this?” Tanal asked Fidan in the parliamentary query.

Fidan responded by saying that Turkey’s long-standing relationship with Israel, spanning more than 74 years, has always been managed without compromising the Palestinian struggle for rights.

“In view of Israel’s indiscriminate and barbaric attacks on the Gaza Strip, we have summoned our ambassador for consultations, which is one of the most important diplomatic responses in international relations,” Fidan said.

“On the other hand, in an environment where the UN Security Council is unable to stop Israel’s attacks, we are conducting intensive outreach to exert the necessary pressure on Israel.”

Turkey exports weapons components, firearms to Israel

An investigation by Turkish journalist Metin Cihan paints a contradictory picture of Turkey’s proclaimed stance on the conflict.

According to Cihan, who shares the results of his investigation on X, formerly known as Twitter, citing data from open sources, business between Turkish companies and Israel continues as usual despite Ankara’s harsh rhetoric towards Israel.

In the midst of Ankara’s strong denunciations of Israel, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan labeling it a “terrorist state” and accusing it of “genocide” over its actions in Gaza, an aspect of Turkey’s trade with Israel was recently brought to light by Cihan, concerning arms-related components.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), Turkey’s exports to Israel in these categories have been considerable. In October alone, Turkey exported $105,000 worth of weapons parts to Israel, and in 2023, these exports amounted to $823,112. This includes firearms and accessories and firearms components. Even if these figures seem modest, they are still symbolically significant in the context of the ongoing Israeli-settler violence in the West Bank, which, according to various international organizations, has increased significantly since October 7.

Firearms sales are tightly restricted in Israel, and obtaining a civilian gun license is not easy.

However, Israeli settlers have been arming themselves in record numbers with the blessing of their government since October 7.

Gun stores and shooting ranges are working overtime to meet the sudden demand.

In short, Turkish companies are supplying weapons to Israel that are likely to be used by settlers whose actions against Palestinians are condemned by the entire international community (including Israel), regardless of their stance on the Gaza conflict, while Erdoğan presents himself as a champion of the Palestinian cause.

According to a report by the Sözcü daily, citing TurkStat data, in October, at the height of the Gaza conflict, Turkey’s exports to Israel dropped by 28.9 percent compared to the same month the previous year, totaling $347.9 million. However, despite this decrease, Turkey remained a significant trading partner for Israel, with sectors such as steel, chemicals and electronics contributing to a substantial portion of these exports.

Cihan previously reported that companies with close ties to President Erdoğan, including those belonging to his son Burak Erdoğan‘s trade partner and former prime minister Binali Yıldırım’s son Erkam Yıldırım, continue to engage in significant trade with Israel, including the export of steel and other materials.

Cihan’s revelations have sparked controversy, particularly in light of the heavy civilian casualties in Gaza following Israel’s retaliatory attacks against Hamas. This conflict has seen widespread international criticism and massive protests in Turkey, with citizens expressing strong opposition to Israel’s actions.

In response to these reports, Erkam Yıldırım has taken legal action to remove content mentioning him in relation to the Israel trade.

Yıldırım petitioned the 2nd Criminal Chamber of the Anatolia Peace Court in İstanbul on Tuesday to have his name mentioned in news articles published in Kronos and Gazete Pencere news websites, as well as Cihan’s social media posts.

The court ruled on the same day and rejected the application for an “access ban” to these websites but ordered the removal of the content relating to the applicant’s first name and surname from the corresponding internet addresses.