In 2024, Turkish exports to “Palestine” increased sixfold, the reason is the embargo against Israel

Trade with the Palestinian territories increased sixfold in the first nine months of 2024, reaching $571.2 million, according to a report published by Turkey’s Trade Assembly.

At the same time, in January-April the growth was only 35% – up to 49.4 million. However, then a ban on trade with Israel came into force, which led to an explosive growth in Turkish-Palestinian trade relations, Arab News reports.

Opposition member of the Turkish Parliament Mustafa Yeneroglu sent a request to Trade Minister Omer Bolat asking for comment on reports that the cargo is destined for Israel, and Palestinian companies act as intermediaries.

Previously, the Turkish Ministry of Trade stated that after the embargo against Israel came into force on May 2, trade with this state, amounting to $7 billion a year, was completely stopped until the end of the war in the Gaza Strip.

Let us recall that according to data from the Turkish Association of Exporters published in August 2024, in July 2024, the export of Turkish products to the “state of Palestine” increased 12.8 times compared to last year – from $9.3 million to $119.6 million .

Almost the entire increase in regular exports to the Palestinian Authority consists of steel exports, which increased by 500 times, cement, which increased by 4,500 times, and motor vehicles, which increased by 50 times.

Such a sharp increase in exports to “Palestine” grew against the backdrop of an embargo on direct exports to Israel. Since the Palestinian Authority does not have its own port, Türkiye has made an exception to the export ban to Israel for goods going “to Palestine.” Palestinian traders take a commission of 5-8% of the transaction value and order goods from Turkey in their own name. After the goods are delivered to the Israeli port, the goods simply change the addressee.