The Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Ministry dismissed claims that oil has been shipped from the port of Ceyhan to Israel, calling the allegations "completely unfounded."
In a written statement, the ministry clarified ithe details regarding the operations of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) crude oil pipeline. The pipeline, which was established through an international agreement signed on Nov. 18, 1999, by Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Georgia, is operated under a host government agreement. The Turkish section of the pipeline is managed by BOTAŞ International AŞ under an operational agreement with BTC partners.
“BOTAŞ International AŞ has no involvement or discretion over the sale of the oil transported through the pipeline,” the statement emphasized.
It further underscored that accusations of oil shipments from Ceyhan to Israel, allegedly permitted by Türkiye, are entirely baseless. Companies using the BTC pipeline to transport oil to the Haydar Aliyev Terminal for global markets have respected Türkiye’s decision to cease trade with Israel. No shipments with an Israeli destination have occurred, it added.
Since the outbreak of Israel’s war in Gaza, nations maintaining trade, energy or other relations with Israel have faced calls to sever ties due to the country’s actions in the region. Türkiye, which had suspended trade with Israel last year, remains among those nations.
In early November, Turkish authorities were accused of continuing trade ties with Israel, but these allegations were proven false. Trade Minister Ömer Bolat vehemently denied any ongoing trade activities with Israel, stressing that Ankara had halted all trade since May. Bolat reiterated that the suspension would continue until Israel agreed to a permanent cease-fire and allowed unrestricted humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Taking to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Bolat stated, “Our customs system is fully closed to all trade activities with Israel.”
However, Türkiye continues to allow trade with the Palestinian Authority in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip under a mutual agreement, provided that the Palestinian authorities confirm that the goods are intended for Palestinian territories and are exported by Palestinians. Bolat emphasized that Türkiye’s trade with these areas is documented and aligns with supporting the Palestinian people.
Bolat added that approximately 25% of Palestine’s direct and indirect exports, valued at around $7.7 billion, are conducted with Türkiye. He highlighted that Palestinian exporters coordinate with the Palestinian National Economy Ministry and Türkiye’s Trade Ministry to fulfill the region’s needs.
In addition to its trade suspension with Israel, Türkiye has been actively advocating for a global arms embargo against Israel.
Israel continues its military offensive on Gaza despite a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire. Since a cross-border attack by Hamas in early October, Israeli airstrikes have killed over 42,400 people, most of them women and children, and injured more than 99,000, according to local health officials. The offensive has displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza, exacerbating an existing blockade that has caused severe shortages of essential supplies, including food, clean water and medicine.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its actions in Gaza.
