An Israeli businessman was denied service for a $900 order of Israeli and IDF flags from a producer in Turkey on Sunday, Israeli media reported.
A major flag factory in Istanbul refused to produce Israeli and IDF cone flags for an Israeli client. This decision came amidst strained relations between the two countries and reflects the Turkish government’s official move to cease supporting or subsidizing exports to Israel due to the ongoing war in Gaza.
The incident unfolded when businessman Ronnie Miley, who had previously placed orders with the factory, attempted to make a purchase worth nearly $900.
Despite communicating in Arabic with a Syrian contact at the factory, Miley faced an unexpected rejection, signaling a shift in regular policy. The employee that Miley was in contact with insisted that the decision did not come from him but from someone higher up.
Approximately three weeks prior, the Turkish government had removed Israel from its list of export destination countries, effectively withdrawing support for businesses engaged in trade with Israel. The decision also acted as a statement that put pressure on Turkish businessmen from engaging in trade with Israel.
There have been other instances of tensions with Israel due to the Gaza war
Adding fuel to the fire, the Turkish Ministry of Commerce, led by Minister Omer Bulat (a close ally of Erdogan), exacerbated tensions with anti-Semitic rhetoric earlier this month. In a public announcement via the Ministry of Commerce, he said that Turkey is, in fact, only trading with Palestinians, but in order to trade with them, the transactions have to go under the name "Israel."
This meant that Turkey wasn't engaging in any trade that benefitted the "Jewish region" of Palestine, as he called it, nor would Turkey want to.
Also earlier this month, an armed individual recently seized control of a Procter & Gamble factory in Gebze, near Istanbul, labeling it an “Israeli factory.” The gunman did this as an act of protest against the war in Gaza, police said.