Israeli container line ZIM said it is rerouting vessels after Turkey adopted a regulation that bars ships owned, managed or operated by entities related to Israel from docking at Turkish ports, effective as of Friday, the Maritime Executive news website reported, citing a stock exchange filing by ZIM.
ZIM said Turkish authorities notified the company through its local agent that the ban also covers vessels carrying military or hazardous cargo bound for Israel. The company warned that the measure could hurt financial and operating results if it remains in place.
The Israeli Globes business daily reported that a ZIM ship was turned away from İstanbul on Friday and proceeded to Piraeus, leaving the situation of cargo due to load or unload in İstanbul uncertain.
Industry outlets reported that other carriers, including MSC and Maersk, are seeking clarity on the scope of the new rule and whether flag alone determines access. Some reports also noted a prohibition on Turkish-flagged vessels calling at Israeli ports.
The move follows steps reported last week in which Turkish port authorities informally began asking agents for letters declaring that ships have no links to Israel and are not carrying explosives, radioactive materials or military equipment for the country. Officials relayed the requirement verbally and no circular was issued, shipping sources told Reuters.
This came after months of pressure at home and abroad.
Turkey previously announced a halt to trade with Israel in May 2024.
However, through late 2024, reporters and activists documented practices that appeared to cancel the ban’s effect. These included routing shipments through third countries or recording exports as destined for Palestinian territories while cargo moved through Israeli ports. By May 2025 UN data still placed Turkey among Israel’s top suppliers for 2024.
Oil flows drew special scrutiny. An investigation by the Stop Fueling Genocide campaign, covered by Turkish and international media, tracked at least 10 crude shipments from the Ceyhan terminal to Israel during 2024, most after the embargo announcement, with vessels reportedly switching off tracking at sea.
Turkish activists staged port protests against Israel-linked shipping in late 2024 and into 2025, calling for real enforcement rather than announcements. International campaigns focused on fuel flows and port access added to that pressure.
Ankara endorsed a set of anti-Israel measures at the July Bogotá Conference on Palestine, co-hosted by Colombia and South Africa. Initially hesitant over maritime legal concerns, Turkey later announced it would fully back a six-point action plan that includes halting military exports to Israel, refusing transit of Israeli weapons through its territory and reviewing procurement rules to exclude Israeli companies tied to the occupation of Palestinian territories. The package also commits Ankara to supporting universal jurisdiction cases and International Criminal Court proceedings on alleged Israeli war crimes.
By aligning with a declaration by the Hague Group, Turkey joined more than a dozen states pledging to enforce legal and diplomatic steps against Israel ahead of the UN General Assembly in September. Turkish officials framed the move as a moral obligation in response to what genocide scholars and rights groups increasingly describe as Israel’s campaign of genocide in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, many of them children.