Turkish police detain activists protesting trade ties with Israel

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Turkish police on Oct. 4 temporarily detained some activists for protesting the country’s ongoing trade ties with Israel despite the official statements, the daily Cumhuriyet reported.

Accordingly, President, and Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the Teknofest, the Turkish technology and aerospace fair, in the southern Adana province. 

In his speech, Erdoğan reiterated that Israel “has its eyes on Anatolian lands.”

Meanwhile, a group of activists from “Direniş Çadırı” wanted to protest the ongoing trade ties with Israel, and shouted, “Trade with Israel is a betrayal to Palestine.”

The group announced on their social media account that the police detained the protestors. “Our friends' protest against the ongoing trade relations with Israel and oil shipments, when the President of the Republic was in attendance, was violently intervened! Our friends are being taken to the police station.”

They were later released. 

The group on Oct. 5 also announced that some of their members were detained in a protest held in front of the presidential palace in the capital Ankara.

Turkey has denounced the war and halted all trade with Israel. It submitted a request to join South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide.

Following heightened public outcry, the Trade Ministry announced in May that Turkey fully halted all trade with Israel. Nonetheless, several major companies operating in the country have been known to continue their direct and indirect ties with Israeli entities.

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