Turkey’s recent export data suggests an effort to obscure trade relations with Israel by declaring exports as being to Palestine, as reported by Uğur Zengin of the Turkish daily Evrensel on Saturday, 3 August. According to the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), while exports to Israel have reportedly dropped to zero, there has been an extraordinary 1180% increase in exports to Palestine.
In July 2023, Turkey exported $9.3 million worth of goods to Palestine. By July 2024, this figure surged to $119.5 million. This increase comes amid a reported halt in Turkish exports to Israel, which had previously amounted to $383.9 million in July 2023.
Significant rises are noted in exports of steel and cement. For example, steel exports to Palestine leapt from $27,000 in July 2023 to $14.3 million in July 2024—a remarkable 51,756% increase. Cement exports also rose dramatically from $1,000 to $4.7 million.
Additionally, previously non-existent categories such as jewellery and furniture now feature in trade with Palestine. Jewellery exports jumped from zero to $170,000, and furniture imports surged to $12 million.
The Turkish Trade Ministry has stated that exports to Israel were halted until humanitarian aid could be assured for Gaza. However, these new figures suggest that Turkey may be redirecting its trade through Palestine to maintain economic interactions with Israel while presenting a different picture in official records.
