A new report by pro-Palestinian groups has revealed that crude oil shipments departing from Turkish ports and officially declared as destined for other countries have instead been delivered to Israel.
Titled “The Genocide Valves Are Still Open: We Expose Turkey’s Secret Crude Oil Shipments to Israel,” the 13-page report was jointly released on Jan 20 by the Palestinian Youth Movement, Energy Embargo for Palestine, and Progressive International.
Focusing on the transport of Azerbaijani crude oil to Israel via the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) Pipeline—mostly owned by British Petroleum (BP)—the report includes detailed information on tankers departing Turkey for Israel between May 2, 2024, and Dec 1, 2025, and the volumes of crude they carried.
Researchers identified 57 crude oil shipments departing from the port of Ceyhan in Adana that never arrived at their officially declared destinations. Satellite images showed that the tankers routinely turned off their tracking signals and later docked at Israel’s Ashkelon Port.
The working group, contacted by bianet, explained their verification methods as follows:
“Shipping data related to oil deliveries to Israel are constantly manipulated to conceal the truth from the public. A notable example is the falsification of Azerbaijan’s official customs records, which omit information on oil exported to Israel. We confirmed our findings by analyzing and cross-verifying multiple sources, including trade databases, shipping data, and satellite imagery. These findings indicate that Turkey’s trade embargo is being routinely violated and that this crude oil is being refined into products fueling Israel’s genocide.”
Call to the government
The report states that despite Turkey’s trade embargo on Israel, two Greece-based companies have continued transporting oil via Ceyhan:
“Two shipping companies—Kyklades Maritime Corporation and Thenamaris Ships Management—operate most of the vessels involved in covert oil shipments to Israel, in violation of the Turkish state’s declared policy and sovereignty. These Greek-owned companies are profiting from a crucial part of the supply chain that is intensifying Israel’s genocide. We call on the Turkish government to take all necessary measures to definitively prevent these companies from transferring energy products to Israel.”
Click to read the full report.
Turkish capital marches for Palestine but trades with Israel
International call to action
PYM and EEFP have announced a coordinated international action for Jan 27. The action aims to create global mobilization in front of Turkish embassies and pressure the Turkish government to fulfill its trade embargo commitment by halting all oil shipments to Israel.
The Palestine Action Committee will also issue a press statement today at 7.00 pm local time (GMT+3) in Beyoğlu’s Tünel Square under the slogan “Shut down the genocide valves.”
The demands:
- The Turkish government must halt all energy shipments to Israel and implement a comprehensive trade embargo cutting off the flow of crude oil from Turkey to Israel.
- Port workers and the people of Turkey are urged to take all necessary actions to stop oil shipments from Turkish ports to Israel, particularly targeting British oil giant BP and the responsible Greek shipping companies.
- The Hague Group is called upon to take action to ensure full compliance with the agreement by all signatory states.
About the Palestine Action Committee
On the 76th anniversary of the Nakba (May 15, 2024), dozens of political groups, unions, and professional organizations came together under the call of BDS Turkey to form the “Nakba Action Committee.” Driven by the need to establish a principled line of solidarity with Palestine in Turkey, the committee decided to continue its activities under the name “Palestine Action Committee.”
Its first action was held on Jul 7, 2024, in front of the US Consulate General in İstanbul. The committee regards cutting all ties with Israel as the foundation of a principled stance and organizes actions targeting Turkey’s ongoing relations with Israel. It is also working to establish coordination for actions in other cities.
(CN/VC/VK)
