Roaring trade with the “occupation state”

In the wake of the tension over Jerusalem, descriptions of Israel as a “terrorist state” and “occupation state” have been heard from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan but trade relations between Turkey and Israel continue to flourish. With the foreign trade volume between the two countries having increased by 14% over the past year, negotiations continue over the natural gas pipeline from Israel to Turkey. Experts are of the view that the tension over Jerusalem will not affect this project. 

Fourteen per cent increase in 2017 

According to Economy Ministry data, the trade volume between Israel and Turkey, which stood at 1.4 billion dollars in 2002 when the AKP came to power, had risen fourfold by 2014 to peak at 5.8 billion dollars. This figure fell somewhat in 2016, clocking in at 4.3 billion dollars, but went back on the rise in 2017. The volume of 2.8 billion dollars in the January-August 2016 period rose by roughly 14% in the same period of 2017 to reach 3.2 billion dollars. 

Mavi Marmara had no effect, either 

The volume, standing at 2.6 billion in 2009, peaked at 5.8 billion dollars in 2014 despite the Mavi Marmara massacre initiated by Israel in 2010 and the subsequent political crisis. Despite the harsh rhetoric accompanying the latest tension over Jerusalem, this is not expected to affect commercial relations. 

Exports to the Gulf via Israel 

Israel’s Minister of Intelligence and Atomic Energy, Yisrael Katz, speaking the day before yesterday to the Saudi media outlet Elaph, stated that Erdoğan’s rhetoric would not affect the relations between the two countries, and said that 25% of Turkey’s exports to the Gulf countries were sent via the Israeli port of Haifa. 

The Jerusalem crisis will not affect the pipeline 

Israeli Minister of National Infrastructures, Energy and Water Resources, Yuval Steinitz, who came to Turkey in July 2017, stated that he held three rounds of talks with Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak over the natural gas pipeline project and said, “We decided to accelerate the talks and complete the framework agreement that will enable the pipeline to be constructed before the end of the year.” Energy experts have assessed for Cumhuriyet the possible affect the latest Jerusalem crisis may have on the project over which negotiations are in progress: 

Dr. Filiz Katman (Istanbul Aydın University Energy Council of Foreign Investors Director): Taking stock of the road accidents experienced in previous years, they are seen to have had no negative impact on commercial relations between Turkey and Israel. The comments being made suggest that they will currently not be affected, either. There may be more of an impact here on the process that Israel is taking forward with the South Cyprus Greek Administration over reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

Dr. Volkan Ediger (Kadir Has University Center for Energy and Sustainable Development): I do not imagine it will have an effect. Not even Mavi Marmara had an effect. Israel has signed a gas agreement with South Cyprus and Greece. It is negotiating with Turkey. It is keeping various options on the table. If it goes via Greece, the cost will be high and Turkey is more advantageous. However, it is not as yet certain how much gas Israel has.

‘İşgal devleti’ ile ticaret tıkırında