By Abimbola Ogunnaike
Turkey has announced the suspension of all trade with Israel, saying it is because of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The Turkish trade ministry stated that the suspension would remain in effect until Israel permitted an “uninterrupted and sufficient flow” of aid into Gaza.
The Turkish government declared that the trade suspension would apply to all products.
This new development comes amid escalating tensions over Israel’s offensive in the region.
Last year, trade between Turkey and Israel amounted to nearly $7 billion.
Responding to Turkey’s announcement, Israel’s foreign minister accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of acting dictatorially and disregarding the interests of Turkish citizens and businesses.
Israel said it would seek alternatives for trade, focusing on local production and imports from other countries.
Tensions between Turkey and Israel have been strained for years, with diplomatic relations experiencing ups and downs.
Turkey severed ties with Israel in 2010 after clashes between Israeli commandos and pro-Palestinian Turkish activists aboard a ship attempting to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza resulted in casualties.
Although diplomatic relations were restored in 2016, they soured again in 2018 when both countries expelled each other’s top diplomats over Israel’s handling of protests on the Gaza-Israel border.
However, the recent escalation in tensions between Turkey and Israel follows the deadly Hamas attack on Israel in October last year.
