Morocco-Turkey Relations Chill as Free Trade Agreement Faces Termination

Some Internet users even went so far as to accuse the Turkish President of wanting to put pressure on Morocco by allowing the broadcast of a video of the pro-Polisario activist, Aminatou Haidar, on public television.

According to Kech24, the Turkish approach would be a reaction to the unilateral Moroccan decision to terminate the free trade agreement.

The abolition of customs duties on products from Turkey has created an economic imbalance, causing the bankruptcy of many local traders. This imbalance, noted in a report by the Moroccan Government, has forced the Moroccan authorities to consider canceling the agreement.

Ratified in 2004, the free trade agreement between Morocco and Turkey has been implemented since 2006. More than a decade later, it seems that the convention is largely to Turkey’s advantage.