Turkey is still pumping oil to Israel through the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline from Azerbaijan’s Caspian fields, a recent report by Turkish journalist-in-exile Metin Cihan has revealed. Cihan’s findings show that the oil flows from the Azerbaijani port of Baku through the BP-run pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, and is then taken by boat to the Israeli port of Haifa.
Turkey is receiving just $0.80 per barrel of oil loaded onto the boats at Ceyhan, Cihan reported. Israel was the biggest customer for Azerbaijani oil in January 2024, purchasing $279 million worth that month alone. The BTC pipeline supplies 40 percent of Israel’s oil requirements.
Cihan looked at data from Turkish company Botas, which is in charge of the Turkish part of the pipeline. Botas’ operations are handled by the Turkey Wealth Fund, a sovereign wealth fund overseen by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan himself.
Erdoğan has publicly declared support for the Palestinian people, and on 3 May claimed to have halted all trade with the Israeli state over the ongoing massacre in Rafah. After ongoing trade with Israel was revealed in the press, Turkey’s so-called ‘boycott’ was scaled back to a three-month phase out of trade.
The revelation by Cihan lays bare the apparent duplicity of the Turkish President, who on the one hand has expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, while with the other has enabled the supply of oil to fuel Israel’s genocide.
Meanwhile, the Erdoğan family have threatened Cihan with a lawsuit for insulting the president.
Earlier this month the Rise Up For Rojava campaign published a detailed report highlighting Turkey’s continued trade with Israel. Turkey was Israel’s sixth biggest trade partner last year.
Rise Up For Rojava wrote: “Despite genocide unfolding in Gaza, Turkey continued to supplied materials that may be directly used for the atrocities against the Palestinians in Gaza. Moreover construction materials such as cement, steel, and machinery exported from Turkey might be used in building projects, including those in occupied areas.”
The campaign also pointed out that Erdoğan did not announce his trade ‘ban’ until 30,000 Palestinian people had already been killed.
“In shedding light on Turkish hypocrisy surrounding the Genocide in Gaza, it becomes evident that Erdogan’s maneuvers are nothing short of a facade. Turkey’s actions, on the surface seem to be in support of Palestine, but are overshadowed by its complicity in fuelling the very oppression it claims to oppose. Erdogan’s attempts to paint himself as a champion of Palestinian rights ring hollow when viewed through the lens of Turkey’s strategic alliances and economic interests. It’s imperative that we unveil this hypocrisy and hold the AKP-MHP regime accountable for their opportunistic posturing. Turkish fascism, in the form of the AKP regime, does not offer any solutions. Neither for Palestine nor for the Middle East”, the campaign concluded.
The number of Palestinian’s killed in Israel’s genocide now stands at 36,224. Israeli bombing of a tent city has burnt Palestinian refugees alive this week. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, while the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered that Israel must end its assault on Rafah to stop genocide from taking place.
