These factors include marked improvements in both Turkey’s and Qatar’s relations with Egypt and reconciliation between Riyadh and Doha in the post-al-Ula period. In Turkey, exporters said they had experienced growing difficulties with Saudi Arabia, although they faced fewer problems with regional trade hub the United Arab Emirates, which is also opposed to Turkish foreign policy in the region. In 2019, Turkish exports to the kingdom amounted to some $3.1 billion. Saudi Arabia closes Turkish schools amid unofficial boycott. On Oct. 10, eight leading Turkish business groups urged Saudi Arabia to act to improve trade relations. We cherish local community, the liberties bequeathed us by the Founders, the civilizational foundations of faith and family, and—we are not ashamed to use the word—peace. 0. Ankara recently stating that it has “respect” for the Saudi trial that jailed eight people for Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 killing underscores the extent to which Turkey is seeking to repair its ties with the Kingdom. On April 26, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman and adviser Ibrahim Kalin addressed the unofficial boycott, affirming that Ankara will “seek ways to repair the relationship with a more positive agenda with Saudi Arabia as well.”. "A boycott of everything Turkish, be … Saudi Arabian companies launching an “unofficial” boycott of Turkish goods indicates the latest episode in Riyadh’s growing antagonism towards Ankara, despite the Saudi government’s denials. by Jonathan Fenton-Harvey | Nov 5, 2020. In the second quarter, Turkey was Saudi Arabia’s 12th trade partner by total import value. Riyadh has not acknowledged ordering a boycott of Turkish goods, but business groups have called for a moratorium. They stressed that there is no contr… In March, Erdogan announced that the Saudis had an appetite for purchasing advanced Turkish drones. But such talks have not yet led to any breakthrough, which demonstrates how “some parties in Saudi Arabia want to put brakes on the rapprochement efforts,” according to Ali Bakeer, a research assistant professor at Qatar University. The informal boycott slashed Turkish exports to Saudi Arabia to around $75 million in the first three months of this year, down from $852 million in 2020, according to Turkish data. Riyadh has also indicated its desire to iron out its differences with Ankara. In fact, Saudi Arabia has been putting pressure on local businesses not to trade with Turkey and its industries with various instances of the Kingdom detaining trucks carrying produce from Turkey reported which further boosts Saudi’s unofficial boycott of Turkey. Turkish exports to Saudi Arabia dropped by 94.4 percent year on year to only $11.25m in April, according to the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM). Regardless of when it began, it is easy to understand the root causes of the boycott. Giorgio Cafiero (@GiorgioCafiero) is the CEO of Gulf State Analytics (@GulfStateAnalyt), a Washington, D.C.-based geopolitical risk consultancy. At the same time, Turkey’s assertive foreign policy in the Horn of Africa has unsettled Gulf states including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, adding to Riyadh’s perceptions of an alleged Turkish threat. Saudi tweets confirmed that the popular campaign to boycott Turkish products continues for the second month in a row, away from aid due to the Izmir earthquake. Meanwhile, business associations say that Saudi Arabian officials are forcing companies to bypass Turkish goods. Yet if the Saudis did purchase these advanced drones, it would certainly add to Turkey’s much deserved reputation as a “drone superpower,” which recent Turkish military operations in Libya, Idlib, northern Iraq, and Nagorno-Karabakh contributed to significantly. Turkey will raise its concerns regarding an unofficial Saudi Arabia boycott against the Turkish goods this week at the World Trade … The head of Saudi Arabia's Chambers of Commerce has called for a boycott of Turkish products amid merchants' reports that animosity between Ankara and Riyadh is hindering the flow of goods between the two regional powers. “As a consumer, I see that the Turkish products have high quality at a reasonable price,” Obaid Alosaime said, adding that a boycott would hurt Saudi consumers by limiting their options. The American Conservative exists to advance a Main Street conservatism. Also, according to the data provided by TIM, Turkish goods such as chemicals, jewelry, and textiles have been arriving in Lebanon and Oman in significantly higher levels during this period of unofficial boycott. This thaw in Turkish-Saudi relations has been a result of uncertainties surrounding U.S. foreign policy with President Joe Biden in the White House, as well as Ankara and Riyadh’s concerns about possibly becoming more isolated. In 2020 and 2021, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have made efforts to improve relations. Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been at loggerheads since the 2011 “Arab Spring” over Ankara’s support for Islamist political groups. 0. Reports of an unofficial boycott of Turkish trade by Saudi Arabian authorities continue to swirl, with new data highlighting that exports from Turkey to the kingdom are slowing. The fake opinion columnists primarily targeted right-of-center outlets receptive to a hawkish line against Iran, Saudi Arabia Is Unofficially Boycotting Turkey, 3 Ways to support the American Conservative, We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Exports have dropped from around $201 million (TL 1.67 billion) a year ago. Additional reporting by Ceyda Caglayan; in Istanbul, Writing by Aziz El Yaakoubi, Editing by William Maclean. However, some experts remain doubtful as to whether the Turks would be willing to export such weapons to the Saudis. The Turkish lira dropped 22% as a result of the boycott, hitting an all-time low. RIYADH/JEDDAH: The popular campaign boycotting Turkish products in Saudi Arabia has gained further momentum over the past few days, attracting the support of commentators and businesses. RIYADH — The campaign to boycott Turkish products in Saudi Arabia has gained momentum, with more companies and establishments operating in various commercial and industrial sectors joining in the drive. According to a statement, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated some gulf countries to following policies that were damaging the region. RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia’s biggest supermarket chains this week joined a growing boycott of Turkish imports proposed by business leaders and Saudis on social media, as political tensions spilled into trade between the two regional powers. “Any official or unofficial initiative to block trade between the two countries will have negative repercussions on our trade relations and be detrimental to the economies of both countries,” the business groups, including textile exporters and contractors, said in a statement. Saudi Arabia through its unofficial boycott is determined to pretty much prevent anything Turkish from entering the Kingdom. “I came to the supermarket and have avoided all of the Turkish products, because we have to be with the government, all of us should be like one hand,” said Oum Nasser al-Harbi, a Saudi woman shopping at Othaim Markets. Nonetheless, an Ankara-Riyadh rapprochement will take more time. Intelligence said. Nonetheless, for Turkey and Saudi Arabia to put their relationship on track for a reconciliation, this boycott issue must be addressed. (By esfera/Shutterstock) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Sensitive issues that fueled tensions have included Khashoggi’s murder in 2018, the blockade of Qatar (2017-2021), Libya’s civil war (2014-2020), militant Kurdish nationalism in northern Syria (2016-present), the ouster of Egypt’s Mohammed Morsi in 2013, the failed Turkish coup plot of 2016, Saudi Arabia’s designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization in 2014, and Sudan’s post-2019 political transition. While some of the decline can be attributed to the pandemic, TİM statistics show that the Saudi boycott campaign might result in a sharp decline of Turkish exports to Arab countries. So far this year, neither Turkish nor Saudi trade data show an unusually large drop in two-way trade, even allowing for strains on global commerce from the coronavirus pandemic. The head of Saudi Arabia’s non-governmental Chambers of Commerce, Ajlan al-Ajlan, called for the boycott earlier this month. That seems to be exactly what Turkey’s government is committed to pursuing. Saudi Arabia’s government media office has said authorities have not placed any restrictions on Turkish goods. , Danube Supermarkets, Tamimi Markets and Panda Retail Company issued statements announcing they would stop carrying Turkish goods once existing stocks are sold off. RIYADH/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The head of Saudi Arabia’s Chambers of Commerce has called for a boycott of Turkish products amid reports from merchants that … To be sure, the Saudis are still purchasing Turkish goods, albeit in more costly and indirect ways. Saudi Arabia and Turkey have been at odds for some years over foreign policy and attitudes towards Islamist political groups. Saudi Arabia’s government media office has said authorities have not placed any restrictions on Turkish goods. by. In 2020 and 2021, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have created initiatives to enhance relations. 0. Turkish exporters to Saudi Arabia have contrived for their products to appear to be coming from elsewhere, through forging documents for an extra fee. Saudi Arabia Is Unofficially Boycotting Turkey Riyadh and Ankara cannot reconcile until normal trade between the countries is restored. Riyadh has also indicated its desire to iron out its differences with Ankara. Turkey’s exports to Saudi Arabia in the first four months of the year fell 93.3 percent to $67.4 million, P.A. Saudi businessmen and retailers last year called for a ban on Turkish imports over political tensions between the two regional rivals. Saudi Arabia is the biggest economy in the Middle East and before the pandemic, thousands of Saudi tourists visited Turkey every year. Othaim Markets 4001.E, Danube Supermarkets, Tamimi Markets and Panda Retail Company issued statements announcing they would stop carrying Turkish goods once existing stocks are sold off. The Turks have paid a price for the Saudi boycott in various areas of the economy from construction to food to property sales to tourism. The value of Saudi Arabian imports from Turkey, already at record lows amid an informal boycott, fell further in January, official data showed on Thursday. Erdoğan’s statement was circulated in Saudi Arabia’s local media for days and calls for boycotting Turkish products was initiated by Saudi businessmen and journalists. to find out more, read our. At this juncture, the Kingdom is not yet ready to end its unofficial boycott of Turkey, maintains Bakeer, who does think however that this contentious issue could possibly be resolved through a continuation of bilateral talks. Between 2015 and 2017, Turkish exports to Saudi Arabia surpassed Saudi imports -- with Turkey exporting more to the Kingdom than it imported from it -- by about $1.3 billion. On October 18, the Saudi fast-food company Herfy announced its … One reason why pertains to the unofficial Saudi boycott of Turkish goods. The 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate escalated tensions sharply. For over a year, some Saudi and Turkish traders have speculated that Saudi Arabia was enacting an informal boycott of imports from Turkey. It is not exactly clear when this Saudi boycott of Turkish goods started. Sales to Saudi Arabia plunged by 94.4% year on year to only $11.25 million, according to the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) data. Most likely, products head to Saudi Arabia from these two countries after removal of the “Made in Turkey” label. “It has been going on for a year, but in the recent period, the pressure on businessmen in Saudi Arabia ‘to not buy made in Turkey’ has come up,” said Ferdi Erdogan, head of the Association of Turkish Construction Material Producers. According to the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), in this year’s first quarter, Turkish exports to Saudi Arabia decreased 93 percent from 2020’s first quarter. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Which led to Saudi Arabia to boycott Turkey completely. Saudi Arabia Is Unofficially Boycotting Turkey. Numerous points of contention have contributed to friction in Ankara-Riyadh relations in recent years. The timing is especially bad for Turkey, with the Turkish economy suffering from COVID-19 alongside a currency in freefall. Riyadh and Ankara cannot reconcile until normal trade between the countries is restored. This remains a sensitive matter that will need to be addressed before the two nations can move past issues that fueled significant friction in bilateral affairs in recent years. There are some regional indicators suggesting that Ankara and Riyadh could continue moving toward a rapprochement. Saudi Arabia’s ‘Boycott’ of Turkey Suggests Growing Regional Antagonism. On social media, the hashtags #Boycott_Turkish_Products and #Turkish_Products_Boycott_Camapaign have been trending over the last month. Saudi citizens are the top buyers of real estate in Turkey owning up to 30 percent of the foreign ownership rate. Saudi Arabia's government media office has said authorities have not placed any restrictions on Turkish goods. On May 6, 2019, the governor of Riyadh, Faisal bin Bandar, famously declined Turkish coffee, which set off this boycott according to some observers. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Turkey has informed the WTO of its dissatisfaction with the negative treatment of products and Turkish export companies by Saudi Arabia that restricts trade between the two countries. Perhaps one question worth raising is whether the sale of Turkish-made drones to Riyadh could help compensate for this unofficial boycott, or at least enable the two countries to move past it politically. Get a roundup of the most important and intriguing stories from around the world, delivered to your inbox every weekday. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter. "Our leaders, our government and our security are a red line and they do not accept to be harmed," Othaim Markets said in the statement on its company Twitter account. “I don’t believe that Turkey would sell Riyadh advanced drones at any point in the near future given the unpredictable behavior of the Saudis and their apparent reservations on the rapprochement effort,” Bakeer said. In 2020 and 2021, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have made efforts to improve relations. The release of a US intelligence probe into Khashoggi’s murder has failed to shake Mohammed’s position, defying Turkey’s expectations. Saudi official calls for boycotting “everything Turkish”. Saudi Arabia has been putting pressure on local businesses not to trade with Turkey and its industries in a bid to boost its unofficial boycott. Ankara has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the Saudi unofficial boycott campaign of Turkish goods. A look at Turkey’s rising exports to other countries in the region during this span of time indicates that the plummet in Turkish exports to Saudi Arabia is not attributable to the global COVID-19 pandemic, but instead to this boycott. However, in an apparently informal boycott of … VIEWS. There has been a tremendous response to a popular boycott campaign called by the private sector last week. Gulf news stated on Saturday that Saudi Authorities told citizens to boycott Turkey by banning their products. There was a discussion about the Kingdom’s “restrictive policies and practices concerning Turkey” and the Saudi government provided a response, according to the WTO. The informal boycott slashed Turkish exports to Saudi Arabia to around $75 million in the first three months of this year, down from $852 million in 2020, according to Turkish data. Turkish businesses have been vocal about the long delays their exports now face at Saudi customs borders. Ankara recently stating that it has “respect” for the Saudi trial that jailed eight people for Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 killing underscores the extent to which Turkey is seeking to repair its ties with the Kingdom. May 5, 2021. in Uncategorized . Ragip Soylu. However, in an apparently informal boycott of imports of Turkish goods, signs urging customers not buy Turkish goods were seen in some retail stores in the capital Riyadh last week. Although Saudi officials deny there is a boycott of Turkey, many believe the de facto ban stems from Riyadh and its close ally the United Arab Emirates’ … Saudi Prince Abdulrahman Bin Musa'ad has called for boycotting Turkish imports after Turkish President Erdogan announced that his country's … Last week Turkey’s leading business groups and associations urged Saudi Arabia to take action as Turkish firms are encountering growing problems in the kingdom. The April data follows collapses in recent months and reinforced the damage reportedly caused by Saudi Arabia’s unofficial boycott. Reportedly, large firms from Turkey have recently engaged the Saudis in discussions about restarting direct bilateral trade. The latest data shows Saudi imports from Turkey were worth about $185 million in July, up from roughly $180 million in June. Exports have dropped from around $201m a … Some Saudis still see value in bilateral trade even with Turkish, Saudi and Emirati officials trading barbs over the Libya conflict and Ankara’s support for Qatar in a dispute with its fellow Gulf states. "Exporters are trying to overcome the blockade, but this means additional costs out of … Relations between the two countries have soured in recent years due to the stark positions adopted by both countries on a number of issues, ranging from Ankara’s support for the Arab Spring to the backing of Qatar in the face of the decision by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to boycott the tiny Gulf state in June 2017. Ajlan Al Ajlan, Saudi Arabia’s head of Chamber of Commerce, has called for a boycott of “everything Turkish”. What decision the body makes remains unknown for now, but it could pressure the Saudis to end trade practices that target Turkey. Others have pinned the start of the economic campaign to last year when prominent Saudi businessmen and retailers called for boycotting Turkish goods. SHARES. In late March, the Turks raised this issue before the World Trade Organization in Switzerland. "Our leaders, our government and our security are a red line and they do not accept to be harmed," Othaim Markets said in the statement on its company Twitter account. The unofficial boycott against Turkish goods in Saudi Arabia is still intact, and trade between the two countries has declined drastically over the past years. Saudi Arabia is the biggest economy in the Middle East, and it is unwise to lose trade relations with such a partner as it will have a bigger impact then what Turkey could have anticipated. The Saudis would also like to settle this issue in ways that do not result in perception that their government is associated with the boycott, given the potential for concern and suspicion by foreign investors, whom Saudi Arabia needs to execute its strategic initiative Vision 2030.