Jerusalem:
Israel's Foreign Ministry has announced several measures against Turkey following the latter's decision to halt all trade activities with Israel due to “non-stop violence” against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The ministry said in a statement on Friday that in a discussion held by senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economy, as well as the Israeli tax authorities, it was decided to work towards reducing any economic connection between Turkey, the West Bank and Gaza . This was reported by the Xinhua news agency.
In addition, it was decided to take action in international economic forums to explore sanctions against Turkey for violating trade agreements, to establish an alternative list for the Israeli economy for various sectors and products, and to support the affected Israeli export sectors.
It noted that Turkey is the Palestinian Authority's largest importing country.
According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, Israeli exports of goods to Turkey amounted to $1.57 billion in 2023, while Israeli imports from Turkey amounted to $4.61 billion.
Meanwhile, Israel has filed a complaint with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) against Turkey over its decision to suspend trade, according to a statement from Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat.
Both Turkey and Israel are members of the OECD.
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