Nihat Zeybekçi, deputy chairman of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), expressed support for continued trade relations with Israel, saying they benefit Turkey despite growing anti-Israel sentiment in the country over Tel Aviv’s war on Gaza.
Sentiment against Israel has been running high in Turkey since Israel began pounding Gaza in retaliation for an unprecedented attack by militant group Hamas in the south of Israel on October 7, which claimed around 1,200 lives and led to the taking of some 250 hostages.
As of April 6, 133 hostages remained in captivity in the Gaza Strip, 129 of whom had been abducted on October 7.
The death toll in Gaza, meanwhile, has exceeded 34,400, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The AKP government, which has faced growing criticism due to its continuing trade with Israel despite the war on Gaza, recently imposed trade restrictions on Israel, in a move that has been interpreted as insufficient and overdue due to the massive toll Israel’s attacks has taken on the people of Gaza.
Six months after Israel launched its war on Gaza, the Turkish government heeded public criticism and imposed restrictions on its ongoing trade with Tel Aviv, on April 9.
The move to restrict trade came in response to Israel’s actions in Gaza and its blocking of Turkey’s attempts to airdrop aid into the region.
AKP deputy chairman Zeybekçi has defended the country’s trade with Israel, stating that it benefits Turkey and should be viewed independently of the conflict.
Zeybekçi was criticized for his remarks during a speech at an event in İzmir on Friday, in which he appeared to prioritize economic gain over humanitarian concerns.
“We condemn Israel’s massacre of Muslims. However, in terms of trade, Israel is an important partner with whom we have a free trade agreement,” Zeybekçi told the audience.
Despite Turkey’s official stance condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza, trade between the two countries has not only continued, but has even grown.
Zeybekçi emphasized the distinction he believes should be made between political condemnation and economic necessity, noting, “We sell them six [items] and buy one from them. This trade is useful, but we are working to be more sensitive about it.”
The deputy chairman’s comments come at a time when Turkey’s trade practices with Israel are coming under increased scrutiny.
In addition to his defense of trade with Israel, Zeybekci also argued for a registration scheme rather than an outright ban on exporting certain products, which would allow for better monitoring and control of exports without cutting economic ties, according to Zeybekçi.
Zeybekci’s comments drew anger from Turks, who took to social media to express their outrage.
In response to the reactions, Zeybekci tweeted: “I stand by every word I said. Our trade agreement with Israel, which was not suspended even during the Mavi Marmara incident [the killing of 10 Turkish citizens by Israeli soldiers on the Mavi Marmara, which sailed from Turkey in 2010 to take humanitarian aid to Gaza but was attacked by Israeli commandoes in international waters], allows our Palestinian brothers and sisters to buy Turkish goods, which improves our trade balance.”
The trade between Turkey and Israel, some of which is conducted by people close to President Erdoğan despite his anti-Israel rhetoric, was first revealed by investigative journalist Metin Cihan in late November. Cihan has since then been reporting on the commerce between the two countries using official statistics and maritime traffic websites, all of which are publicly available.
Erdoğan, who long marketed himself in the Muslim world as the champion of Palestinian rights and a strong critic of Israel, has repeatedly accused Israel of being a “terrorist state” and committing “genocide” in Gaza due to Israel’s continuing attacks on the Palestinian enclave.
The ongoing conflict and Erdoğan’s condemnation notwithstanding, Israel remains an important trading partner for Turkey, ranking 13th on Turkey’s export list in 2023. Trade between the two countries totaled $5.42 billion last year, accounting for 2.1 percent of Turkey’s total exports, a decrease from $7 billion in 2022.