Turkey has prohibited exports to Haifa and Ashdod ports in Israel, sources familiar with the matter told “Globes”. Despite no official statement, Turkish ports have begun enforcing the instruction, and Israeli goods arriving at Turkish ports are not being allowed to unload their cargoes.

This move is a further crackdown on Israeli ties by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who recently declared, “We no longer maintain close commercial ties with Israel, it’s over.” Businesspeople in Turkey are experiencing a crisis unseen even during the Marmara Gaza flotilla crisis in 2010.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz has accused Erdogan of “breaking agreements” and “ignoring international trade agreements”, stating, “This is how a dictator behaves, disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen.” Katz has instructed officials to find alternative trade options, pledging, “Israel will emerge with a strong and daring economy. We Win, and They Lose.”

The move violates free trade agreements between Israel and Turkey in place since the mid-1990s. Last month, Turkey announced export trade restrictions to Israel on 54 products, including construction materials, in response to the war in the Gaza Strip. Turkish exports to Israel totaled $437 million in March, a record since the start of the war, while Turkey imported goods worth $167 million from Israel.

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