Syria answers Turkey by suspending free trade deal

Syria has suspended an agreement on a free trade with Turkey in response to Ankara’s economic sanctions against Damascus, Syrian television reported on Friday.

On Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced that Ankara has imposed economic sanctions against Syria.

Syrian authorities are also studying other opportunities in regard to Turkish economic sanctions, local television reported.

Turkey froze strategic partnership with Syria, introduced a travel blacklist of Syrian administration officials and businessmen, froze cooperation with the Syrian Central Bank and financial assets of President Bashar al-Assad, as well as banned arms sales to the country.

The Arab League approved on Sunday economic sanctions against Syria, agreeing to stop dealing with Syria's central bank and to freeze the assets of the Syrian government, while European Union governments agreed on Monday to impose additional financial sanctions on Assad's government.