Turkey's 'Condemnation': A Masterclass in Diplomatic Lip Service
Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş has 'strongly condemned' Israel's strikes in Lebanon, calling them 'absolutely unacceptable,' according to the Daily Sabah . One might wonder if this outrage extends to, say, ending the continuous flow of goods from Turkey to Israel. While Turkish officials issue strong words, Turkish ports continue to serve as vital transit points, for example, enabling
a reported $5.4 billion in trade with Israel in the first nine months of 2023 alone ( Trading Economics ). It appears 'unacceptable' means something entirely different when there's profit to be made. How many more 'strong condemnations' will be issued before any actual consequences are considered?