Turkey denies exporting arms to Israel
Amidst worldwide calls for an arms embargo on Israel as it continues its brutal war on Gaza, Turkey has denied allegations of collaborating with the state militarily, TVC News reported on March 27.
Ankara were forced to go on the defensive as The Cradle, an online English-language magazine focusing on Western Asia, reported in January that the country exported $319 million in goods to Israel.
Said goods included precious metals, chemicals, insecticides, nuclear reactor parts, gunpowder, explosives, aircraft parts, and weapons and ammunition.
Turkey’s Defence Ministry wrote on X (formerly Twitter) “It is not possible for the Republic of Turkey, which has always supported Palestine, to carry out or engage in any activity that would harm the Palestinians.”
“The Ministry of National Defence does not have any activities with Israel, including military training, exercises, and defence industry cooperation.”
According to Turkish news outlet The Karar, trade with Israel is primarily driven by companies affiliated with the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (MUSIAD), who are seen as cheerleaders of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Erdogan, and Turkey more generally, is a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause, lambasting the actions of the Israeli state in Palestinian territories before and after October as well as designating Gaza-controlling militants Hamas as a “liberation” organisation and not a terrorist group.
Turkey’s Directorate of Communications Center for Countering Disinformation also denied the claims, echoing the Defence Ministry’s statements that “it is not possible” for the country to engage in activity that would harm Palestinians.
READ: UN rights expert calls for Israel arms embargo
They wrote on X on March 26, “The products in the 93rd chapter of the alleged export list are not war weapons and ammunition but ungrooved rifle spare parts and accessories and fishing equipment used for individual purposes such as sports and hunting.
“According to Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) data, there have been no exports of rifles for sports and hunting purposes since May 2023, which already had low figures. The products exported under the heading “Gunpowder and explosives, pyrotechnic products, matches, pyrophoric alloys, combustible preparations” in the 36th chapter of the export list were “gel fuel and lighter fluid”.
“It has been determined that attempts were made to manipulate public opinion regarding the products included in the chapter headings of the Customs Tariff and exported by private companies.”
Although the two countries have collaborated on certain issues previously, relations have massively dwindled due to Mr Erdogan’s strong support for the Palestinian people.
On March 26, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese called for all countries to cease selling arms to Israel whilst presenting her report, titled “The Anatomy of Genocide” at a UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.
The UN official repeatedly stressed that what Israel was doing in Gaza met the widely recognised definition of genocide.
TVC News/ The Cradle/ The Karar
