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News ID: 84076
Publish Date : 21 October 2020 - 21:44

Morocco Joins Saudi Boycott of Turkish Goods?

ANKARA (Dispatches) – A raft of restrictions imposed by Morocco on Turkish goods has abruptly severed economic ties between the two countries and raised suspicions that Rabat has joined a Saudi-led informal boycott.
On 15 October, Morocco placed restrictions on products manufactured in Turkey and Turkish supermarket chains, as well as hiking taxes on imported Turkish goods by 90 percent.
The move last week came a day before Morocco’s cabinet approved a review of the free trade agreement signed between the kingdom and Turkey in 2004, which Royal Court spokesman Abdul Haq al-Marini said would "correct the imbalances in the trade balance between the two countries in recent years.
According to Rabat, the agreement with Ankara, in force since 2006, has caused the Moroccan economy to suffer financial losses of nearly $2bn a year. In January, Moroccan Trade Minister Moulay Hafiz Elalamy informed parliament that the country was offering Turkey two options: either revise the agreement and find solutions or see it end.
Saudi Arabia’s boycott of Turkish products is unofficial, and was called for by Ajlan Al-Ajlan, the head of Saudi Arabia’s Chambers of Commerce, a "a non-government group of private sector business officials”, according to Reuters.
A Saudi official told the newswire that "The official authorities in the kingdom have not placed any restrictions on Turkish goods”.
One anonymous Saudi businessman told Reuters that Saudi customs officials had informally told him not to import goods from Turkey.  
Turkish state news agency Anadolu commented on the boycott that "analysts are convinced that comments such as those made by Ajlan cannot be made without the "blessings” of the Saudi leadership, considering the kingdom’s poor record in granting freedom of expression to its citizens.”
Nevertheless, the war of words has been increasing, with Turkish President Erdogan saying on October 1 of the Persian Gulf states that "It should not be forgotten that the countries in question did not exist yesterday, and probably will not exist tomorrow”.
Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy chairperson said days ago that Turkey was ‘laughing’ at the Saudi campaign to boycott Turkish goods.
Speaking to Turkey’s Channel 7 on Sunday, Numan Kurtulmus said, "We laugh at the fact that some countries are boycotting Turkey. Let them first learn to stand as an independent country. Let them stop standing around a magic sphere like that and holding hands with the special permission they will take from their big brothers. Let them stand on the nobility of their people”.