On May 2, 2024, the Turkish Ministry of Trade Ordered A complete and immediate halt to trade with Israel. Ankara’s punitive measures could set a dangerous precedent for other countries to follow.
The Turkish statement said Turkey would halt all “imports and exports” with Israel until the Israeli government allows an uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, Ankara’s request for aid is a disguised effort to undermine Israel’s efforts in Gaza.
The total trade halt builds on Turkey’s announcement just four weeks ago to ban the export of 54 categories of products to Israel until Jerusalem declares a ceasefire in Gaza. Ankara said it imposed the ban after Israel rejected Turkey’s request for permission to airdrop aid over Gaza. For Israel, however, Ankara’s participation was not feasible because Turkey, unlike Jordan, was not willing to allow the US Central Command to coordinate the aid. Erdogan then announced that Turkey would launch a convoy to transport supplies directly to Hamas, a move that could have led to a direct clash with the Israeli navy. In response to the trade halt, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Turkey’s decision “violates existing trade agreements by blocking Israeli ports of entry and export.”
Turkey’s open support for Hamas is no longer surprising. Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denied that Hamas members are terrorists, instead calling them “mujahideen” (freedom fighters). Just days after parliament approved a $23 billion deal to sell Ankara F-16 fighter jets and avionics upgrades, Erdogan declared that “Turkey is a country that firmly supports Hamas.” He then hosted Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh in Istanbul and offered to host the organization’s headquarters if Hamas wishes to relocate it from Qatar.
Erdogan may want to be not only Hamas’s main defender, but also the leader of the rejectionists among vociferously anti-Israel countries. In this context, on May 1, 2024, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that Turkey would join South Africa in its genocide lawsuit against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Congress must take concrete steps to deter Turkey and prevent other countries from following its lead by expanding a hypocritical boycott that will empower terrorists. Several U.S. lawmakers have already called on the State Department to act to thwart further Turkish attempts to stoke the Gaza conflict. Following Ankara’s boycott announcement, U.S. lawmakers have begun investigating the possibility of imposing sanctions on Turkey to enforce U.S. anti-boycott laws.
Neither the Biden administration nor Congress should be passive in the face of Turkey’s challenges to Middle East peace and the liberal world order. Instead, leaders of both parties should take steps to discourage President Erdogan from adding fuel to the fire. To do so,
Parliament may recommend imposing sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act against Erdogan’s associates for systematic corruption.
The U.S. Treasury Department (Treasury) could target Turkish banks under anti-money laundering authorities it previously used when Turkey evaded sanctions on behalf of Iran.
If Turkey begins operating the S-400 air defense systems it purchased from Russia, the Treasury Department could also impose sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries by Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
The State Department could also block cooperation on energy projects that are important to Erdogan.
Finally, the Biden administration could delay the delivery of 70 F-16 fighter jets and modernization kit until Ankara changes its behavior.
Sinan Sidi is a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). Tyler Stapleton is director of congressional relations for FDD Action. They both contribute to FDD’s Center for Economic and Financial Power (CEFP) and Center for Political and Military Power (CMPP). Follow us on XSinan Sidi and Follow. Follow FDD with X translator and translatorFDD is a nonpartisan research institute focused on national security and foreign policy, based in Washington, D.C. FDD Action is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(4) organization affiliated with FDD, formed to advance U.S. national security and advocate for effective policies to protect our free nation.
