The Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has rejected recent allegations that oil from the Ceyhan Port is being exported to Israel. In an official statement, the ministry called the claims “completely unfounded” and provided detailed clarification about the operations of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. The BTC pipeline, established through an international agreement between Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in 1999, is operated under a host government agreement, with BOTAŞ International AŞ managing Türkiye’s section of the pipeline in cooperation with BTC partners.

The statement emphasized that BOTAŞ International AŞ has no authority or involvement in the sale of oil transported through the pipeline, reinforcing that Türkiye is not facilitating any oil exports to Israel. The ministry reiterated that all companies using the BTC pipeline respect Türkiye’s embargo on trade with Israel, with no oil shipments directed toward Israel since trade was suspended last year.

Following recent accusations that Türkiye maintained ties with Israel amid its ongoing conflict in Gaza, Turkish Trade Minister Ömer Bolat firmly denied any ongoing trade. Bolat stated that all trade with Israel was halted in May and would remain suspended until Israel agrees to a ceasefire and allows unhindered humanitarian aid access to Gaza. He emphasized this stance in a social media post, stating that Türkiye’s customs system is entirely closed to Israeli trade.

However, Türkiye maintains a trade agreement with Palestinian territories, allowing exports to East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, provided these goods are confirmed by Palestinian authorities as destined for Palestinian use. Minister Bolat highlighted that 25% of Palestine’s exports are facilitated through Türkiye, in coordination with the Palestinian National Economy Ministry and Türkiye’s Trade Ministry.

Additionally, Türkiye has called for an international arms embargo on Israel amid its continued offensive in Gaza. Despite a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution, Israeli airstrikes have resulted in extensive casualties and widespread displacement in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its actions in Gaza.