Turkey-Israel relations at all-time low? | DW News

Turkey suspended all trade with Israel due to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Turkey’s trade ministry stated that “export and import transactions related to Israel have been stopped, covering all products.” It said the measures would stay in place until Israel allowed “an uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.“ The two countries had a trade volume of $6.8 billion (€6.3 billion) in 2023. Turkey, one of the few Muslim-majority nations to recognize Israel, has seen large protests in support of Palestinians in Gaza. After years of thawing relations, Turkey has become one of the harshest critics of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan branding Israel a “terrorist state.“ On October 7, Hamas members attacked Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people. The militants also took over 200 people hostage. Israel launched a ground operation in Gaza shortly after to destroy Hamas. The militant group is classifi