Signaling that the Turkish government does not want the situation in the Gaza Strip to affect the economic ties between Turkey and Israel, Turkey’s Minister of Economy Nihat Zeybekci said in an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor on July 22 that “preventing or restricting private trade” between Turkey and Israel would be illegal and “against the rules of economy.”
Zeybekci also said the Islamic State (IS) is now contacting individual Turkish businessmen to call them back to Iraq. The minister’s remarks indicate this desperate approach by IS could yield some results.