Saudis let wallets do the talking to punish Turkey for Khashoggi
Biscuits and yogurt are emerging as weapons of choice for Saudis lashing out at Turkey for hounding their government over the slaying of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul.
Pro-government Saudis have been calling for a boycott of Turkish products on Twitter. Among the biggest targets are dairy producer Pinar Sut Mamulleri Sanayii AS and Ulker Biskuvi Sanayi AS, which has two plants in Saudi Arabia and ranks No. 1 in its biscuits market.
“The objective is not to destroy the economy,” Naifco, a pro-government Saudi user who promoted the campaign, tweeted to more than 500,000 followers. “It’s to express our anger in a civilized way.”
Political ties between Turkey and Saudi Arabia were strained before the killing of Khashoggi, 59, but the economic relationship had endured any public saber-rattling from their leaders.
Bilateral trade amounts to $4.8 billion. While that doesn’t even figure in the top 15 partners for Turkey, Saudi Arabia is a major export market for some Turkish heavyweights.
There’s also the effect on revenue from big-spending Saudi tourists who may be put off by Turkey’s repeated efforts to expose the Saudi role in the killing of the Washington Post columnist on Oct. 2. Saudis were among the top buyers of Turkish property last year.
Weaponizing economic ties isn’t without precedent under Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who’s been willing to flex the kingdom’s financial muscle by taking punitive measures in recent disputes with Canada and Germany.
One of his foreign policy
Turkey accuses Trump of “turning a blind eye” to Khashoggi’s killing.
A MMAN,
JORDAN» For months, Turkish officials have been leaking gruesome details surrounding Jamal Khashoggi’s death as a counter to President Donald Trump’s moves to absolve Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Trump ally thought to be behind the Saudi journalist’s slaying.
But Ankara took a more direct approach Friday, with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu slamming Trump for “turning a blind eye” in Khashoggi’s death, and accusing Trump of putting money above human values.
Trump’s statements in support of the prince mean that the president is saying, in essence, “‘Whatever happens, I will turn a blind eye,’ ” Cavusoglu said Friday. “This is not the right approach. Money is not everything . ... We shouldn’t abandon our humanitarian values.”
Cavusoglu’s rebuke echoes those from other Turkish officials, who have described as comical an exclamationpoint-filled message from the president concerning reports that the prince ordered Khashoggi’s slaying.
“Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t,” Trump wrote on Tuesday in a rambling 633-word message, later adding, “In any case, our relationship is with Saudi Arabia.”
He also thanked the kingdom for its support against Iran and “keeping oil prices at reasonable levels.” missteps has been an attempted embargo of Qatar, ostensibly to punish the Saudi neighbor for allegedly sponsoring terrorism. Rather than lasting weeks or months, the boycott is well into its second year. Turkey sided with the Qataris, exporting milk and other products to the tiny emirate.
For Turkey, the showdown couldn’t come at a worse time; its economy is already battered by a currency crisis that’s touched off inflation and raised the risk of recession.