Ankara: Turkey says it will impose restrictions on exports to Israel until there is a ceasefire and increased aid in the Gaza Strip.
The Turkish Ministry of Trade said it will no longer send to Israel items in 54 categories spanning iron and steel products, jet fuel, construction equipment, machines, cement, granites, chemicals, pesticides and bricks.
“Israel continues to flagrantly violate international law and ignores the international community,” it said in a statement. “This decision will remain in place until Israel declares a ceasefire immediately and allows adequate and uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”
More than 33,000 people have been killed in Israel’s six-month war on Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, with many countries expressing outrage over the death toll and humanitarian crisis arising from the Israeli attacks and siege. Israel launched its assault in response to Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, which killed 1,139 people, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on Israeli statistics.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz hit back at Turkey’s announcement saying Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is “once again sacrificing the economic interests of the people of Turkey for his support of the Hamas murderers in Gaza”.
He added Israel would take “measures that will harm the Turkish economy”, including banning some Turkish imports, asking United States-based organisations to stop investing in Turkey, and calling “our friends in the American Congress” to impose sanctions on Turkey.
The announcement of the trade curbs came a day after Turkey promised “step by step” reprisals against Israel after it blocked Turkish cargo military planes from dropping aid over Gaza.