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Israel will have difficulty restoring its relations with Türkiye before the war in Gaza ends, according to retired Ambassador Michael Harari, policy fellow at Mitvim Institute, writing in Israeli news outlet Maariv.
"Israel will have difficulty restoring its relations with Türkiye before the war in Gaza ends, and perhaps it should not be overly optimistic. But the Syrian arena requires both countries to pull together and ensure that common interests are preserved," Harari stated in his analysis.
The Israeli-Turkish relationship has experienced significant deterioration since October 7, according to Harari's assessment. Türkiye has intensified its stance against Israel, moving from hostile rhetoric to substantial damage to economic ties.
Israeli-Turkish relations have known ups and downs over the years, but the current Gaza conflict has pushed bilateral ties to new lows, the retired ambassador noted.
Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat strongly defended Türkiye's economic measures against Israel, stating that trade has been completely halted since May 2, 2024.
"Since May 2, 2024, both exports and imports are zero, no customs operations are being conducted," Bolat said in response to opposition claims that trade with Israel continues.
Bolat emphasized that Türkiye maintains trade with Palestine while completely cutting economic ties with Israel. "They can continue lying, we will continue telling the truth more than them. They will drown in their lies. We will continue to win Palestinians' love, heart, and soul with facts," he stated.
The minister dismissed suggestions of unauthorized trade, noting that the customs system is closed and no individual can circumvent the restrictions.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at a trilateral summit with Azerbaijan and Pakistan leaders in Azerbaijan's Lachin city, called on the world to increase pressure on Israeli administration.
"We are determined to continue defending the rights of innocent children and people who are being massacred in Gaza before our eyes. I want to emphasize once again that we will stand against all attempts to disrupt the peace of our region," Erdogan stated.
The president called on the international community to increase pressure on the Israeli administration for establishing a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring uninterrupted emergency humanitarian aid reaches Gaza.
AK Party Spokesperson Omer Celik identified Israeli attacks as the sole destabilizing factor in Syria's current transition period.
"Israeli aggression is the primary factor threatening Syria and regional peace. This has not produced any results that secure Israel's security to date. It is nothing but an attempt by Netanyahu and his team's massacrist policy to expand to Syria," Celik stated.
Celik noted that while Syria moves away from the danger of becoming "a new Afghanistan," Israeli military actions remain the primary threat to stability.
"International community members who want stability and think that order needs to be established there must be sensitive about drawing a line against Israeli aggression in Syria," he emphasized.
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