Turkey Suspends All Trade with ‘Israel’

By Staff, Agencies

Turkey announced that it is suspending all trade with the “Israeli” entity until it allows aid to enter Gaza unhindered during its invasion of the besieged territory.

In a statement, the trade ministry said, “Exports and imports to and from ‘Israel’ have been suspended.”

Turkey, it said, will apply these new measures until the ‘Israeli’ entity authorizes an uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. 

“Israeli” Foreign Minister Israel Katz had earlier on Thursday accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of breaking agreements between the two sides by blocking “Israeli” exports and imports.

Turkey recently imposed restrictions on exchanges with “Israel” over the entity’s refusal to allow Ankara to take part in aid air-drop operations for Gaza.

The country-imposed trade restrictions on 54 product groups in April, a move widely believed to be in response to growing public pressure for the suspension of trade ties with “Israel” amid the rising humanitarian toll in Gaza.

Erdogan back then said that Turkey no longer continued “intense trade” with “Israel”, adding “that is done”. He did not indicate Ankara had cut off all trade with “Israel”.

The president has also warned “Israel” of a “heavy price” if Tel Aviv carries out its scheme to target members of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Turkish soil.

The Turkish president has warned “Israel” of paying a ‘heavy price’ for a plot of targeting Hamas members on Turkish soil.

Erdogan also strongly criticized Heavily-handed tactics to curb US college campus protests, saying authorities were displaying "cruelty" in clamping down on pro-Palestinian students and academics.