Saudis Stoke Tensions With Turkey

 To Push ‘Secret’ Ban on Ankara

RIYADH (Kayhan Intl.) – The head of Saudi Arabia’s Chamber of Commerce called on Saturday for a boycott of "everything Turkish” including imports, investment, and tourism, saying it is "the responsibility of every Saudi.”
The call for a boycott comes after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, alluding to the Saudi regime, said that some countries in the Persian Gulf were targeting Turkey and pursuing policies that destabilized the region.
"It should not be forgotten that the countries in question did not exist yesterday, and probably will not exist tomorrow; however, we will continue to keep our flag flying in this region forever, with the permission of Allah,” said Erdogan on Thursday, addressing Turkey’s General Assembly.
His words sparked backlash, with Saudi Arabia’s Chamber of Commerce head Ajlan al-Ajlan calling for a boycott of Turkish goods.
"Boycotting everything Turkish, whether on the level of import, investment or tourism, is the responsibility of every Saudi - trader and consumer - in response to the continued hostility of the Turkish government against our leadership, our country and our citizens,” said al-Ajlan in a post on Twitter.
If the directive is followed, it would affect thousands of Turkish exporters at a time when the Turkish economy is in tatters.
A Turkish media report said last week that Saudi Arabia will officially ban Turkish products this week after months of pressure it imposed on local businesses not to trade with Ankara as part of a "secret” embargo.
The Saudi ban is aimed at dealing a blow to Turkey’s already crippled economy, the Cumhuriyet daily reported.
Saudi Arabia was already putting pressure on local businesses not to trade with Turkey and its industries in a bid to boost its unofficial boycott.
According to a July report by Middle East Eye, citing information from Turkish officials, the Saudi regime has been preventing trucks carrying fresh fruit and vegetables from crossing the Saudi border.
The Turkish newspaper Dunya also reported that the Saudi government has contacted individual businesses and ordered them not to trade with Turkish companies or buy any products made in Turkey. The government imposes fines on any company which ignores this order.
The Turkish paper had claimed that Saudi Arabia "cannot officially reveal this policy due to World Trade Organization sanctions”. However, Cumhuriyet says Riyadh is pressing ahead with making the ban official.