Turkey seeks to ‘force’ Israel into ceasefire, Erdogan says
Turkey’s suspension of trade with Israel seeks to “force” Tel Aviv to declare a ceasefire in its war in the Gaza Strip, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.
“Our sole purpose is to force the [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu government, which has sprung out of control due to the West’s unconditional support, into a ceasefire,” he told members of a national business group in Istanbul.
Turkey on Friday said it will not resume trade with Israel, worth around $7 billion a year, until a permanent ceasefire is secured in the war in Gaza with unhindered humanitarian aid flowing to Palestinians there.
Erdogan said he expected Western governments would “attack” Turkey over its decision.
“We are well aware of how the West will attack us due to our trade restrictions against Israel,” he said, adding that Turkey would “set an example” for other countries in the region. [AMNA/Anadolu]
