Istanbul:

Turkey said it would impose trade restrictions on Israel from Tuesday over a range of products including cement, steel and construction materials over the war in Gaza.

The new measures come a day after Turkey said Israel had blocked its attempt to air-deliver aid to Gaza.

“This decision will remain in effect until Israel declares an immediate ceasefire and allows adequate and uninterrupted humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza,” the trade ministry announced on social media.

It attached a list of 54 export-restricted products.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan vowed on Monday to retaliate against Israel for blocking the Turkish air force from airdropping aid to Gaza, saying it would be implemented “step by step” and “without delay.”

He added that these export measures were approved by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey has become one of Israel’s harshest critics of the war in Gaza, with Erdogan calling Israel a “terrorist state”.

His broadside against Israel included accusations that Israel was committing “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza in response to an unprecedented attack by Hamas militants on October 7.

The attack killed 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures, while Israeli military operations have killed at least 33,207 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Erdogan defended Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and the European Union, as “a liberation organization.”

Türkiye’s trade action against Israel follows domestic criticism of the government for failing to cut off trade sooner.

Turkish police violently detained a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters on Saturday who went to Istanbul’s central Taksim Square to urge the government to cut off trade ties.

Images from the scene showed a police officer slapping a demonstrator.

The harsh police response drew criticism from the opposition Republican People’s Party, whose leader Ozgur Ozer called the move a “clear violation of freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and the constitution.”

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said an investigation had been launched into the harsh police response to the protests and that two police officers had been suspended.

The war in Gaza ended a gradual thaw in Turkish-Israeli relations, and the ambassador was reappointed in 2022.

Erdogan recalled Ankara’s envoy from Tel Aviv and pushed for Israeli commanders and political leaders to be tried at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The Turkish leader has also frequently attacked Israel during his campaign ahead of March 31 local elections.

Despite this, his party suffered historic defeats, losing control of many cities, notably to the Islamist-based Yeniden Refah Party (New Welfare Party).

The party won seats in Turkey’s parliament last year after allying with Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party and fielded its own candidates in March elections, with its leader Fatih Erbakan attacking Erdogan Dogan maintains Turkish-Israeli trade despite war in Gaza.

“The outcome of this election is determined by the actions of those who continue to trade freely with Israel and the Zionist murderers,” Erbakan said on election night.

Turkish exports to Israel were worth $5.43 billion last year, down from $7.03 billion in 2022, according to the Turkish Exporters Federation and statistics agency Turkstat.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)