Turkey announces further sanctions on Israeli ships and aircraft in response to genocide in Gaza, but is yet to take action on the supply of crude oil to Israel
London, 12th September– On Friday 29th August, Turkey announced its severing of economic and trade ties with Israel, closing its airspace to Israeli aircraft and banning Israeli ships from docking at Turkish ports. However, Turkey must also end its supply of crude oil to Israel and arrest dual nationals suspected of war crimes in Turkish jurisdiction.
Al Jazeera has reported that Israeli vessels were banned from docking in Turkey, with Turkish-flagged ships being denied entry into Israeli ports. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Israel has been “committing genocide in Gaza for the past two years, ignoring basic humanitarian values right before the world’s eyes”.
While the ICJP welcomes these announcements and encourages other countries to follow suit, Turkey is yet to respond to ICJP’s Global 195 complaint, filed in March 2025. Global 195 is a worldwide legal coalition dedicated to holding accountable Israeli and dual national individuals alleged to have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
The initiative establishes a global network of accountability by filing complaints in various domestic jurisdictions, including Turkey, which will ensure that domestic and international legal mechanisms are utilised to pursue individuals suspected of war crimes, wherever they may be.
As Israel’s genocide in Gaza rages on, Turkey also still allows the supply of crude oil to Israel via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (BTC) despite Ankara’s imposition of a trade embargo in May 2024, aiding Israel in their war efforts. In December 2024, ICJP filed a complaint against BP for negligence in facilitating oil supply to Israel.
ICJP’s Public Affairs and Communications Officer Órlaith Roe said:
“Turkey’s sanctioning of Israeli ships and aircraft is deeply hollow if crude oil continues to flow – directly or indirectly – from its pipelines and ports into Israel’s war machine. Such hypocrisy compounds suffering, undermines international law, and implicates Ankara in the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- ICJP is a legal organisation based in London, working to uphold international law and defend the rights of Palestinians.
- Further details on Global 195 can be found here.
- Further details on the BP Oil case can be found here.
- For more information or for media inquiries, please contact the ICJP news desk at press@icjpalestine.com.
- Photo Credit: Chris Eason, Wikimedia Commons
Photo Credit: Wikipedia User:Chhrls (Wikimedia Commons)
