Turkish exporters have reported increasing obstacles to trade in Saudi Arabia, as businessmen in the Gulf Arab state have led calls for bans on Turkish imports and as ties between the two countries deteriorated. Already strained by competing ambitions for regional influence, those relations plunged into crisis two years ago when Saudi agents killed prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Turkey's Exporters Assembly says exports to Saudi Arabia fell 16% in the first 10 months of this year to $2.23 billion. President-elect Joe Biden, who has sharply criticised Erdogan, will face pressure from Congress to sanction Turkey for buying Russian defence equipment and has pledged to reassess ties with Saudi Arabia. "Even though there was no official ban, we were unable to send many products to Saudi Arabia anyway, including chicken products," said Sait Koca, general manager of a poultry company.

Source: bd News24 November 27, 2020 13:52 UTC