Israel trade freeze aimed at forcing Gaza truce: Erdogan

The commercialized frost is the latest denotation of deteriorating relations betwixt the 2 countries. Photo: Adem ALTAN / AFP
Source: AFP

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan connected Friday said Turkey's determination to halt commercialized with Israel was designed to unit the state to a ceasefire successful Gaza.

The decision, announced connected Thursday, is the latest denotation of deteriorating relations betwixt the 2 countries.

"We person taken immoderate measures to unit Israel to hold to a ceasefire and summation the magnitude of humanitarian assistance to enter" Gaza, Erdogan told a radical of businessmen successful Istanbul.

"We volition oversee the consequences of this measurement we person taken successful coordination and consultation with our concern world."

Already successful April Turkey, 1 of the fewer Muslim-majority nations to recognise Israel, announced it was restricting exports to Israel, covering 54 products from robust and alloy to pitchy fuel.

"We bash not tally aft hostility oregon struggle successful our region," Erdogan said Friday. "We bash not privation to spot conflict, humor oregon tears successful our geography.

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"We cognize present that we did the close thing."

The Gaza Strip is suffering a humanitarian situation caused by Israel's warfare against Hamas that has been raging since October 7, with the United Nations and assistance agencies informing of impending famine.

The warfare started with Hamas's unprecedented October 7 onslaught connected Israel that resulted successful the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli authoritative figures.

Israel estimates that 129 captives seized by militants during their onslaught stay successful Gaza. The subject says 34 of them are dead.

Israel's retaliatory violative against Hamas has killed much than 34,600 radical successful Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's wellness ministry.

'We closed that door'

An outspoken advocator of the Palestinian cause, Erdogan has go 1 of the astir strident critics successful the Muslim satellite of Israel's violative successful Gaza.

He has accused the authorities of "state terrorism", branding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the "butcher of Gaza".

But Turkey's commercialized enactment against Israel came aft disapproval wrong the state against Erdogan's authorities for having failed to enactment sooner.

His enactment suffered a historical decision successful the March 31 section elections, losing power of galore cities, particularly to the Islam-based Yeniden Refah (New Welfare) Party, which had called for harsher steps against Israel.

Turkish-Israeli commercialized measurement amounted to $9.5 billion, Erdogan told journalists aft Friday prayers successful Istanbul. "We closed that door."

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz connected Thursday accused Erdogan of breaking agreements betwixt the 2 countries aft Ankara announced the commercialized freeze.

But Erdogan said: "We person 1 extremity here, and that's to unit the Netanyahu government, which went retired of power with the unconditional subject and diplomatic enactment of the West, to a ceasefire."

"If a ceasefire is declared and an capable magnitude of humanitarian assistance is allowed to participate Gaza, the extremity volition beryllium achieved."

Source: AFP