Ankara to continue put pressure on Israel via trade, diplomacy: Erdogan

Ankara will continue to put pressure on Israel through trade and diplomacy until Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration ceases the massacre in Gaza, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

Speaking at a meeting of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) in Istanbul on Saturday, Erdogan was unequivocal about what has been happening in Gaza since October 7, 2023.

“We are keeping our channels of communication open in our business community in the process of implementing our decision to suspend commercial transactions to force Israel, which has martyred around 36,000 innocent people in Gaza, to ceasefire,” he said.

“Ankara will continue to put pressure on Israel through trade, (and) diplomacy until Netanyahu administration ends its massacres in Gaza,” he emphasised.

On Friday, the ICJ reaffirmed its previous orders and indicated further measures including, keeping the Rafah border crossing open and allowing access for investigators to the blockaded enclave.

Over 35,900 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and nearly 80,300 others injured since October following an attack by Hamas.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

4.5 percent growth rate

The president also touched on the country’s economic goals and achievements.

In a historic achievement for Türkiye, exports surpassed $255B, hitting a record-breaking $257.6B as of April, he said.

“With a 4.5 percent growth rate, Türkiye ranks first in Europe, second in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, and fourth in G-20,” he emphasised.

Pointing out the goals of Ankara’s economic program, the Turkish president said that Türkiye's economic priority was to reduce inflation to single digits for permanent relief, with a focus on long-term stability to improve the nation's welfare.