Turkey bars Israel-linked ships after Hague Group pledge

Ankara also restricts Turkish ships from visiting Israeli ports after signing the Bogota declaration

A cargo ship transits through the Bosphorus in Istanbul, on 18 August, 2023 (Yasin Akgul/AFP)

A cargo ship transits through the Bosphorus in Istanbul, on 18 August, 2023 (Yasin Akgul/AFP)

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Turkey has imposed new restrictions on Israeli-owned and linked ships, barring them from visiting the country’s ports, a senior Turkish official told Middle East Eye.

Reuters reported that Turkish port authorities this week began informally requiring shipping agents to submit letters declaring that vessels are not connected to Israel and are not carrying military or hazardous cargo bound for Turkish ports.

The report added that vessel owners, managers and operators must have no ties to Israel, and that certain types of cargo, including explosives, radioactive materials or military equipment, cannot be on board if en route to Israel.

Bloomberg, meanwhile, reported that Turkish-flagged ships have also been barred from calling at Israeli ports.

A senior Turkish official confirmed to MEE that Ankara has taken these moves against Israel as part of its punitive steps over the genocide in Gaza.

In May 2024, Ankara suspended its $8bn bilateral trade with Israel in response to Israel’s war on Gaza. This prompted Turkish companies to use third countries, such as Greece or Palestine, to continue shipping goods to Israel.

That loophole was closed in November, when Turkey introduced a three-stage process for companies exporting to Palestine. Under the new rules, businesses must obtain approval from the Palestinian economy ministry before completing transactions.

The latest shipping restrictions follow Ankara’s announcement last month that it was taking up six measures against Israel, in line with The Hague Group’s joint statement from the Bogota Emergency Conference on Palestine.

Sanctions pledge

The Hague Group, a bloc of eight countries consisting of Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa, was launched on 31 January in The Hague with the stated goal of holding Israel accountable under international law.

Turkey became the first country to formally endorse the commitments adopted at the summit on 16 July.

The Bogota conference, which convened several countries in an effort to halt the Gaza genocide and hold Israel to account, concluded with a joint declaration calling for international sanctions and legal accountability for what participants described as “grave violations of international law”.

Colombia summit: What's next for The Hague Group?

The six measures include suspending military exports to Israel, refusing transit of Israeli weapons through Turkish ports and airspace, and reviewing all public contracts to block state institutions and pension funds from supporting Israeli companies or the occupation of Palestinian territories.

The declaration further commits signatory states to preventing the provision of dual-use items to Israel and to ensure that local industries do not supply materials that could facilitate genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity or other violations of international law.

It also calls on states to prohibit the transit, docking and servicing of Israeli vessels at their ports where there is a clear risk of the vessels carrying arms, munitions, military fuel, related equipment or dual-use goods to Israel, while remaining compliant with international law.

The Bogota summit, co-hosted by Colombia and South Africa, brought together representatives from more than 30 countries across Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. It marked the most coordinated diplomatic effort yet by a coalition of states opposing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

Turkish-Israeli relations deteriorated sharply last year after Turkey joined South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide and began mobilising international platforms to build an alliance against the Israeli onslaught.

Israel's genocide in Gaza

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