TURKEY HALTS ALL TRADE WITH ISRAEL OVER WAR IN GAZA: REPORT

Fri 03 May 2024:

Turkey has severed all commercial ties with Israel amidst escalating tensions due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The cessation of trade was initiated on Thursday, as per reports from Bloomberg citing two Turkish officials.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz has criticized the move, stating that any obstruction of imports and exports would violate existing agreements. He accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of acting like a dictator, prioritizing his own interests over those of Turkish citizens and businesses, and flouting international trade laws.

Katz expressed his disapproval on social media: “This is how a dictator behaves, disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen, and ignoring international trade agreements.”

Although Turkey has not officially declared the halt in trade, the decision follows comments made by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday. Fidan disclosed that Israel had prevented the Turkish air force from delivering aid to Gaza, vowing to respond with “step by step” actions to be taken “without delay”.

The Turkish trade ministry announced via social media that the trade suspension will persist until Israel agrees to an immediate ceasefire and ensures the continuous and unobstructed delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, reports the Express.

A list of 54 products likely to be impacted by export restrictions was released, with Fidan confirming that President Erdogan had sanctioned these measures.

Erdogan has previously condemned Israel, labeling it a “terrorist state” and accusing it of perpetrating a “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza. He has also referred to Hamas as a “liberation group”.

On election night, he declared: “The result of this election was decided by the behavior of those who continued to trade freely with Israel and the Zionist murderers.”

The row will probably deepen tensions between the two formerly close allies, which have deteriorated since the start of the crisis in Gaza.

Hamas killed an estimated 1,136 Israeli citizens on 7 October and took about 250 people hostage, and since then Israel has sent soldiers into Gaza and bombarded the territory, killing more than 34,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

______________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22