Turkey halts all trade with Israel over military actions in Gaza
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey on Thursday suspended all imports and exports to Israel citing the country’s ongoing military action in Gaza and vowed to continue to impose the measures until the Israeli government allows the flow of humanitarian aid to the region.
A Turkish Trade Ministry statement 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.”
Last month, Turkey — a staunch critic of Israel’s military actions — announced that it was restricting exports of 54 types of products to Israel, including aluminum, steel, construction products and chemical fertilizers. Israel responded by also announcing trade barriers.