Antalya:Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has urged Turkey to impose a complete ban on energy supplies to Israel, highlighting that oil shipments are still reaching the country, which she associates with "genocide" in the Gaza Strip.
According to Maan News Agency, Thunberg made her appeal while participating in the United Nations Climate Conference (COP31) held in Antalya, Turkey. She noted that although Turkey banned direct trade with Israel two years ago, Azerbaijani crude oil continues to reach Israel via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and the Turkish port of Ceyhan.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is a crucial conduit for oil from Azerbaijan, passing through Georgia to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, from where a significant portion is transported to Israel. Israel imports about one-third of its oil needs from Azerbaijan.
In a different scenario, a video captured Thunberg's surprise and laughter during her participation in a documentary when she discovered that her founded climate movement, "Fridays for Future," was still actively organizing protests. This revelation was made during the filming of the documentary "On Tanks in the Climate Crisis How Protest Activism is Criminalized."
An article by Dr. Anat Hochverg-Marom in Maariv newspaper discussed the intricate relations among Azerbaijan, Israel, and Turkey. Azerbaijan, despite its close ties with Turkey and Turkish hostility towards Israel, maintains a balanced foreign policy, supporting the Palestinian cause and the two-state solution while also backing Israel's confrontation with Iran and its allies.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline remains a significant supplier of crude oil to Israel, with Azerbaijani oil imports to Israel increasing by 55% in 2024, reaching 1.173 million tons valued at approximately $713 million. The total value of Azerbaijani energy exports to Israel reached $1.7 billion. Azerbaijan has also expanded its investments in Turkey, including petrochemical facilities worth $7 billion.
Additionally, Azerbaijan is a major importer of Israeli military equipment, with Israel supplying about 70% of its weapons, including drones, radars, and advanced defense systems. Israel's military exports to Azerbaijan constituted over 9% of its total military exports between 2018 and 2022.