Pro-government Iraqi TV calls for boycott of Turkish and Saudi products

An Iraqi TV channel with links to the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki aired commercials calling on Iraqis to boycott Turkish and Saudi products.

According to the Anadolu news agency, Afaq, affiliated to the Islamic Dawah Party and sympathetic to Al-Maliki, aired commercials calling for Iraqis to boycott the products of Turkey and Saudi Arabia, saying that this boycott is the least we can do for the blood of our martyrs.

The volume of trade between Turkey and Iraq is around $12 billion annually, whilst the trade between Saudi Arabia and Iraq reached $1.33 billion in 2011.

Widespread unrest spread in northern and western Iraq when armed Sunni groups, led by ISIS, took control of large parts of the country, including that of Nineveh and Salahuddin, after the withdrawal of troops from the Iraqi army, some of which occurred with little resistance, leaving behind large quantities of weapons.

Al-Maliki describes these groups as terrorists, with some Sunni figures calling it a “Sunni tribal revolt” against the sectarian policies pursued by the government of the Shia Al-Maliki.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia accused Al-Maliki’s government of excluding Sunnis and called for the rapid formation of a unity government. Baghdad replied yesterday accusing Saudi Arabia of supporting the Sunni militant groups in Iraq.

Turkey and Saudi Arabia have repeatedly stated they have not interfered with Iraqi affairs or supported armed groups in the country.