Enough with partial limitations on commerce, no trade at all with Israel!
The Turkish Ministry of Trade announced that Turkey has decided to restrict exports of 54 different product groups, such as metals, construction materials, and fuel, to Israel as of April 9. While demands to cut off trade with Israel were rising throughout the society, after more than six months of Israeli genocide in Gaza, a step was finally taken. However, even for this step, the autocratic regime waited for 6 months and only acted after the public outcry following police brutality against the youth protesting for the cessation of trade with Israel on April 6.
Turkey's decision is a victory for the friends of Palestine who have been fighting for the cessation of bloody trade with Israel since the beginning of the war and genocide in Gaza. Friends of the Palestinian people have been fighting for months in the squares, in the ports, in front of the companies that conduct trade with Israel for this decision. With these efforts, this demand was embraced by the working people and trade with Israel became illegitimate in the eyes of the people. All the while, the Turkish bourgeoisie continued to make big money from trade with Israel. In order not to damage this bloody and profitable trade, the bourgeois media organs and some religious organizations’ spokespersons were either explaining how trade with Israel was actually a necessity, that Turkey needed it or blatantly lying that it was actually trading with the Palestinians through Israel. Now, all this has turned out to be a bunch of lies.
Turkey waited 6 months to take a step to cut trade with Israel. In these 6 months, 33 thousand Palestinians were killed and Gaza was razed to the ground. In these 6 months, Israel built barbed wires and produced military equipment with the metal it bought from Turkey while erecting walls with construction materials coming from the same country. Every product that went from Turkey to Israel returned as death to the Palestinian people.
Turkey announced restrictions on trade with Israel in 54 product groups. But outside of these product groups, trade with Israel can freely continue. Israel has a large trade volume with Turkey, especially in fruit and vegetable products. If trade is not cut in all product groups, the genocidal Israeli army and state will continue to be fed by Turkey.
Israel has not stopped its ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people. It will continue until it destroys all of Palestine and leaves not a single Palestinian in Palestine. In the face of the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people against Israel, two military bases that strengthen Israel are located in Turkey. The Incirlik base in Adana provides security to Israel as an imperialist arms and aircraft depot. The Kürecik radar base in Malatya, on the other hand, is Israel's eyes and ears in Western Asia (Middle East) and serves as a shield for Israel.
It is not enough to cut trade with Israel in 54 product groups. This bloody trade with Israel must be ended once and for all. Turkish ports must be closed to ships sailing to Israel. Cutting trade with Israel is not enough, either. Incirlik and Kürecik bases must be closed as soon as possible to weaken Israel's military power. Friends of the Palestinian people, especially Friends of Palestine Against Imperialism and Zionism group, will continue to struggle for this. Once again; Stop the bloody trade with Israel! Close Incirlik and Kürecik bases!
