Israel announces countermeasures against Turkiye following trade suspension

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday several measures to be taken against Turkiye 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 that in a discussion carried out by senior officials from the foreign and economy ministries, as well as the Israel Tax Authority, it was decided to work towards reducing any economic connection between Turkiye and the West Bank and Gaza.

Additionally, it was decided to take action in international economic forums to explore sanctions against Turkiye for violating trade agreements, to create an alternative list for the Israeli economy across various sectors and products, and to support affected Israeli export sectors.

It noted that Turkiye is the Palestinian Authority's largest importing country. According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, in 2023, Israeli exports of goods to Turkiye amounted to 1.57 billion dollars, while Israeli imports from Turkiye reached 4.61 billion dollars.

Meanwhile, Israel filed a complaint to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) against Turkiye for its decision to suspend trade, said a statement from Israel's Economy Minister Nir Barkat.

Both Turkiye and Israel are OECD member countries.