The Turkish Foreign Ministry welcomes the decision of 12 countries to impose trade restrictions on Israeli settlements

The Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said: “We welcome and support the steps taken by twelve countries, led by the United Kingdom, France and Canada, to ban trade and economic relations with illegal settlements in the West Bank.”

He added: "Israel's efforts to undermine the two-state solution are increasing day after day. Illegal settlements have turned into a systematic occupation policy, threatening the existence of a Palestinian state, and settler terrorism has reached the level of ethnic cleansing."

He continued: "Achieving a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region requires a necessary response to the activities of the Israeli occupation."

The statement noted, "In this context, we expect all responsible members of the international community to adopt similar resolutions."

The statement concluded: "Türkiye will continue its quest to achieve an independent, sovereign Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the 1967 borders."

This came in a step consistent with the common European position, coinciding with the announcement by Canada and 11 European countries of their intention to impose restrictions on dealing and trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, in the wake of the noticeable escalation of settler attacks and violence against Palestinian villages.