In an interview with Al Jazeera on Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made a surprising statement, saying Turkey would resume trade relations with Israel once the war in Gaza ends entirely and humanitarian aid is allowed into the enclave. Responding to a question on whether renewed normalization with Israel was realistic, Fidan said, “The rupture in relations is not structural, but conditional.”
According to Fidan, “When we entered the current phase in Turkey-Israel relations and suspended trade, we made it clear that as long as the war continues and aid is not permitted into Gaza, we will not resume trade. This shows our problem is not with Israel itself, but with Israel’s policies—particularly toward the Palestinians and its current genocidal approach in Gaza. The boycott is not structural, but conditional.”
Fidan is a member of the executive committee of the Gaza Board of Peace, and his presence—along with that of a Qatari representative—prompted an unusual statement from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticizing the U.S. administration.
Earlier this week, Israeli Minister Amichai Chikli referred to Turkey as an “enemy state.” Speaking to Ynet, he said, “These days, we understand more than ever that it is part of the axis of evil. Just as we act against terrorist organizations, we will act against those who reveal themselves to be enemy states.”
Commenting on the prospect of Turkey participating in oversight bodies for Gaza’s reconstruction, Chikli added, “Turkey is not a democracy. It is not a partner for anything. When Erdoğan says he wants to do in ‘Palestine’ what happened in Syria and take Jerusalem, I believe him.”