Actions contradict statements.. Turkey’s trade with Israel is increasing.. This is what a recent opinion poll has revealed
Contrary to a recent opinion poll, a significant sector of Turks is disturbed by the large volume of trade with Israel, which is not in line with Turkey’s political stance against the Israeli war on Gaza.
The results of surveys conducted by the opposition Foundation (Yöneylem) confirmed that 71.1% of Turks oppose trade with Israel under these circumstances, as reported by the Turkish newspaper (Zaman).
23% of Turks expressed support for their country’s trade with Israel, while 5.1% of Turks stated that they have not yet decided their position on the matter.
The continued sales of strategic goods such as food and steel paint a different picture than the claims of government circles regarding a decrease in trade between the two countries.
Despite the announcement by the Turkish Minister of Trade, Amro Bolat, about a 50% decrease in trade volume with Israel compared to the previous year, foreign trade data shows a different situation. In November, Turkey’s exports to Israel reached $319 million, continuing to rise in December to $430 million, an increase of 34.8%.
In a related context, imports from Israel reached an unprecedented level, according to the latest official data.
According to the statistics agency, trade between Israel and Turkey peaked in November, during which Israeli attacks on Gaza intensified.
According to a report by the economic magazine “Economist,” during that month, Turkey’s exports to Israel reached $301 million, while Turkey’s imports from Israel reached $128 million.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Trade, in response to internal criticism regarding trade with Israel, recently took its first concrete action by removing Israel from the list of targeted export countries in 2024.
This situation raises several criticisms due to the lack of alignment between the Turkish government’s strong reactions to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and its trade policies.
