Turkey suspends defense industry trade with Israel

Sep 6, 2011, 3:16 a.m.

Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan visits the Seyidka camp in Somalia's capital Mogadishu in this August 19, 2011 file photo. REUTERS/Omar Faruk

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey was "totally suspending" defense industry ties with Israel, after downgrading diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.

"Trade ties, military ties, regarding defense industry ties, we are completely suspending them. This process will be followed by different measures," Erdogan told reporter in Ankara.

(Reporting by Pinar Aydinli; Writing by Ibon Villelabeitia; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)