Turkey said to bar ship traffic to Israel amid trade ban over Gaza war

Turkey is reportedly moving to ban the movement of Turkish ships to Israel — including goods bound for the Palestinian Authority — Globes reports, without citing sources.

The report says the measure, coming more than a year after Ankara imposed a $7 billion annual trade embargo on Israel over its war in Gaza against Hamas, would prohibit all direct ship traffic from Turkey to Israel and bar Turkish-flagged vessels from docking in the country. While its headline describes the move as “a new sanction” by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the report does not specify the formality of the decision.

Globes adds that merchant ships will be required to provide documents showing whether they make regular calls in Israel. While vessels with “Israeli connections” could still be accepted under certain conditions, their cargo could reportedly not be handled in Turkey.

In practice, no cargo activity linked to Israel would be allowed, including containers — effectively blocking the flow of goods to the Palestinian Authority, which relies on Israeli ports. The move also raises doubts about Turkey’s ability to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, most of which enters through Ashdod, the report says.

In a subsequent report, Reuters presents a narrower picture of the reported restrictions.

According to two shipping sources cited by Reuters, Turkish port authorities have begun informally requiring shipping agents to submit guarantee letters stating that vessels are not linked to Israel and are not carrying military or hazardous cargo destined for the country.

The instructions, reportedly given verbally by the harbor master’s office and said to apply across Turkey, have not been issued in any official medium.

One source added that the letters must confirm that vessel owners, managers, and operators have no ties to Israel, and that banned cargo such as explosives, radioactive material, or military equipment is not on board.

The Turkish transportation ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.