Erdogan’s ‘double game’ amid the Gaza conflict… Calls Netanyahu Hitler, yet continues to send crude oil to Israel

Despite the ban, Turkey continues to supply oil to Israel (File Photo: Reuters)

Turkish President Erdogan has been attacking Netanyahu for the war in Gaza. Turkey has also imposed a trade embargo on Israel. Despite this, crude oil from Turkey continues to flow to Israel.

Netanyahu is like Hitler’s relative… Just as Hitler could not foresee his impending defeat, Netanyahu will ultimately suffer the same fate.
This statement was made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after the Israeli attack on Doha last month. Erdogan, who has consistently condemned Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza, also strongly criticized Israel for the attack on Qatar. But now, news is emerging that raises questions about Erdogan’s support for the Palestinians.

Turkey, which has been talking about banning trade with Israel, is secretly sending crude oil to it. According to a report by Middle East Eye, a UK-based website covering the Middle East, an oil tanker carrying crude oil to Israel has departed from the Turkish port of Jehan for an “unknown destination.”

Researchers from the Palestinian Youth Movement and No Harbor for Genocide, citing commercial trade and tracking data, reported that the tanker, named Nissos Tinos, arrived at the port of Jehan on October 4th and loaded approximately 33,830 tons of crude oil. The tanker was scheduled to depart at 6:38 a.m. (local time) on October 6th.

The tanker has supplied oil to Israel several times.

While the tanker’s final destination is unknown, satellite images and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data indicate that the tanker has previously supplied oil to Israel on two previous occasions.

According to the data, the tanker departed from Jehan on September 23 and arrived in the Israeli port of Ashkelon on September 25. Prior to this, it departed from the Russian port of Novorossiysk on September 10 and arrived in Israel on September 20.

Israel buys 30% of its crude oil needs from Turkey.

Jeyhan port is the final stop on the Baku-Tbilisi-Jeyhan (BTC) pipeline owned by British Petroleum (BP), which brings crude oil from Azerbaijan. Oil from this pipeline is shipped to Israel via the Heydar Aliyev Terminal. This accounts for approximately 30% of Israel’s total crude oil consumption.

An investigative report, “Energy Embargo for Palestine,” claimed that oil from this pipeline is used as fuel for Israeli fighter jets. According to the report, if the International Court of Justice (ICJ) determines that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, Türkiye’s role could be considered a violation of international law.

Ship turns off tracker to go to Israel

According to researchers, the Nissos Tinos, as usual, turned off its tracking system upon leaving the port, which is why its travel record is not reflected in the data.

Despite this, researchers track the ship’s location using satellite images and AIS data. It is first tracked at Jayhan and later at Ashkelon when its tracker is turned off.

They reported that on its previous voyage, the ship left Jayhan on September 23rd with a draft of 15.6 meters and was reported to be heading to Port Said, Egypt. However, on September 24th, it turned towards the Israeli port of Haifa and turned off the tracker. Satellite images from September 26th showed it at Ashkelon.

Many other tankers also travel this route to Israel
Researchers also reported that another tanker, the Kimolos, followed a similar pattern. The tanker departed from Jayhan on September 27th, reporting its destination at Port Said, and after the tracker was turned off, appeared in Ashkelon.

The Kimolos is among 36 ships blocked by “No Harbor for Genocide,” meaning ships that are continuously delivering fuel and weapons to Israel.

Supplies Continue Despite Turkish Sanctions
Turkey imposed a trade embargo on Israel in May 2024. However, according to the Stop Fueling Genocide campaign, crude oil shipments between Turkey and Israel continued.

On August 29th, Turkey announced new restrictions on Israel—including closing its airspace to Israeli aircraft and preventing Israeli ships from entering Turkish ports.

A researcher with the Palestinian Youth Movement said, “This is not just a single shipment; many shipments are arriving in Israel from Turkey. Such transfers occur several times each month, bringing hundreds of thousands of tons of oil to Israel.” Israel cannot fuel its military without this oil coming from Turkish ports.

Turkish Government Claims and the Truth
Turkey’s Energy Ministry has repeatedly claimed that no oil tankers bound for Israel have departed from Jehan since May. The ministry says that companies exporting oil through the BTC pipeline are following government instructions.

However, in August, Reuters revealed that Turkish port authorities are now demanding written assurances from shipping agents that their vessels have no connection to Israel. However, these orders were given verbally, not in any official document. According to the United Nations International Trade Statistics database, Turkey was Israel’s fifth-largest exporter in 2024. This occurred at a time when Turkey had imposed a “complete embargo” on trade.

Data from the Turkish Exporters Assembly in September 2024 also showed that Turkish exports to Israel continued even after the embargo, but now Turkey is supplying Israel through third countries like Greece.

(Source-Reuters )