Turkey Halts all Trade with Israel Over Military Actions in Gaza
Turkey has suspended all imports and exports to Israel citing the country's ongoing military action in Gaza, vowing to continue to impose the measures until the Israeli government allows the flow of humanitarian aid to the war-torn enclave.
In a written statement on May 2, the Turkish Trade Ministry said, “Export and import transactions in relation to Israel have been stopped, covering all products.”
Turkish officials would coordinate with Palestinian authorities to ensure that Palestinians are not affected by the suspension of imports and exports, the ministry said.
The ministry described the step as the “second phase” of measures against Israel, adding that the steps would remain in force until Israel “allows an uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.”
"The Republic of Turkey will continue to support the deserving cause of our Palestinian brothers and sisters, as it has done until today," it added.
Last month, Turkey announced that it restricted exports of 54 types of products to Israel, including aluminum, steel, construction products and chemical fertilizers. Israel responded by also announcing trade barriers.
Responding to the expansion of the trade restrictions, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Ankara of blocking Israeli imports and exports from Turkish ports and “breaking agreements.”
Following the April 9 restrictions, Israel vowed to take steps against Turkey, accusing it once again of violating trade deals between the two countries.
"Turkey is unilaterally violating the trade agreements with Israel, and Israel will adopt the necessary steps against it," the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Israel's military campaign has killed over 34,500 people in Gaza according to the territory's Hamas-run Health Ministry. Turkey has been one of the harshest critics of Israel's war on Gaza
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has branded Israel a "terrorist state," repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire and accused it of committing genocide in its military campaign in the war-torn strip. Ankara also supported steps to try Israel for genocide and sent thousands of tons of aid for Gazans
This week, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Turkey decided to join the legal case filed by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice and would soon submit a formal request to intervene in the case.
Source: Hürriyet Daily News
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