ISTANBUL, Turkey: Turkey said on Thursday it was suspending all trade with Israel until it allows aid to enter Gaza unhindered as offensive against Hamas continues in the territory.
“Exports and imports to and from Israel have been suspended,” said the trade ministry in a statement, adding: “Turkey will apply these new measures… until the Israeli government authorises an uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.”
Earlier in the day, Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of violating the agreement between the two countries by blocking Israeli imports and exports.
The move is the latest development to strain relations after Turkey, one of the few major Muslim countries to recognize Israel, restricted exports to the country in April.
The Gaza Strip is suffering from a humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s war against Hamas, which has been exacerbated by warnings from the United Nations and aid agencies of impending famine since October 7.
