NORDIC MONITOR -- Turkey’s ruling Islamist government has been accused of delaying a critical tax agreement with Palestine for years, raising questions about its commitment to supporting the Palestinian economy despite strong rhetoric in favor of Palestinian sovereignty.
During a heated session of the Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on February 11, opposition lawmakers blasted the government for stalling ratification of the “Agreement Between the Republic of Turkey and the State of Palestine on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Tax Evasion,” which was first signed in 2018.
“How can we claim to stand with Palestine while letting this agreement gather dust for years?” asked Oğuz Kaan Salıcı, a lawmaker from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). “This should have been approved years ago. Instead, it was allowed to lapse, and only now, with pressure mounting, are we discussing it again.”
The agreement, aimed at preventing companies from being taxed twice on income earned in both Turkey and Palestine, was approved by Palestine back in 2018. However, the Turkish government allowed the bill to expire without a vote in previous parliamentary sessions.
Now, amid rising international scrutiny over Turkey’s trade ties with Israel and its broader Middle East policy, the government has rushed to revive it.