JERUSALEM/ANKARA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye has halted all exports and imports to and from Israel, media reported on Thursday.

Ankara stopped all trade with Israel as of Thursday over escalating tensions due to the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, Bloomberg reported, citing two unnamed Turkish officials familiar with the issue.

Yet, no official statement has been issued by Türkiye on it.

Also on Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote on social media platform X that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "is breaking agreements by blocking ports for Israeli imports and exports."

Katz accused Erdogan of "disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen and ignoring international trade agreements," adding that he has instructed his ministry to "immediately engage with all relevant parties in the government to create alternatives for trade with Türkiye, focusing on local production and imports from other countries."

The reported trade move of Ankara came after Türkiye had already imposed restrictions on an array of exports to Israel since last month, which Ankara said would remain in effect pending a ceasefire in Gaza.

The export restrictions were enacted after Israel blocked Turkish military planes from dropping aid into Gaza. Türkiye's embargo list included dozens of items, such as iron and steel products, aviation fuel, construction equipment, cement, and chemicals. In response, Israel announced it would boycott products manufactured in Türkiye.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, trade between the two countries amounted to 6.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, with Turkish exports accounting for 76 percent of the total. Enditem

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