Turkey halts trade with Israel

Turkey has suspended all trade with Israel over its offensive in Gaza, citing the "worsening humanitarian tragedy" in the strip, reports BBC.

The Turkish trade ministry said the measures would be in place until Israel allowed an "uninterrupted and sufficient flow" of aid into Gaza. Trade between the two countries was worth almost $7bn (£5.6bn) last year.

Israel's foreign minister accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of acting like a "dictator".

Israel Katz said on X that Mr Erdogan was "disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen and ignoring international trade agreements".

In a statement, Turkey said the trade suspension covered "all products".

"Turkey will strictly and decisively implement these new measures until the Israeli government allows an uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza."

In 1949, Turkey was the first Muslim-majority country to recognise Israel. But relations have worsened in recent decades.