Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Dec. 5 stated that the country’s diplomatic and trade relations with Israel did not harm “the Palestinian cause.”
Answering the parliamentary question of main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Mahmut Tanal, Fidan said “Our 74-year history of relations with Israel has never been conducted at the expense of the just cause of Palestine,” the online news outlet T24 reported.
In his motion, Tanal asked “Will diplomatic relations with the state of Israel be suspended? Are there any sanctions implemented or foreseen to be implemented by your Ministry in response to the inhumane treatment applied by Israel against Palestine? If no decision has been taken to impose sanctions, what is the reason for this?”
The question came after journalist Metin Cihan had unearthed that the senior ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) figures and their allies continued to operate trade with Israel without any disruption after Oct. 7.
“In the face of Israel's barbaric and indiscriminate attacks on Gaza, the Ambassador was summoned to the headquarters for consultations, which is one of the leading diplomatic responses in international relations. On the other hand, in an environment where the United Nations (UN) Security Council has failed to stop Israel's attacks, we have been carrying out intensive contact traffic in order to put the necessary pressure on Israel,” Fidan added in his response.
In another motion, Tanal asked Trade Minister Ömer Bolat whether trade relations with Israel, which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan deemed a “terrorist state,” would be suspended.
