ISTANBUL: Turkish port authorities have begun informally requiring shipping agents for letters declaring that vessels are not linked to Israel and are not carrying military or hazardous cargo bound for the country, according to two shipping sources.
The sources said the harbor master’s office had verbally instructed port agents to provide written assurances, adding that there was no official circular on the issue.
One of the sources said the instruction applied to ports across Turkiye.
The guarantee letter should state that vessel owners, managers, and operators have no ties to Israel, and that certain types of cargo, including explosives and radioactive materials or military equipment, are not on board en route to Israel, the second source said.
The transport ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last year, Turkiye severed trade with Israel worth $7 billion annually, over its war in Gaza with Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Turkish ports asking ships to declare they are not linked to Israel, shipping sources say
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Turkish ports asking ships to declare they are not linked to Israel, shipping sources say
- The sources said the harbor master’s office had verbally instructed port agents to provide written assurances, adding that there was no official circular on the issue
Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 12
- Strikes hit locations in northern and southern Gaza, including an apartment building in Gaza City and a tent in Khan Younis
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Hospitals in Gaza said Israeli strikes killed at least 12 Palestinians Saturday, one of the highest tolls since an October agreement aimed at stopping the fighting.
The strikes hit locations in northern and southern Gaza, including an apartment building in Gaza City and a tent in Khan Younis, officials at hospitals that received the bodies said. The casualties included two women and six children from two different families.
The Shifa Hospital said the Gaza City strike took killed a mother, three children and one of their relatives, while the Nasser Hospital said a strike in a tent camp caused a fire to break out, killing seven, including a father, his three children and three grandchildren.
Gaza’s Health Ministry has recorded more than 500 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the start of the ceasefire on Oct. 10. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts.
Israel’s military did not immediately respond to questions about the strikes.
