Turkey said that it would begin exporting goods to Egypt via sea and overland through Iraq this week as it seeks to bypass existing trade routes through Syria following a breakdown in ties and rising violence in its southern neighbor.

Mr Zafer Caglayan economy minister of Turkey said that Damascus had started allowing Turkish trucks to enter Syria after blocking their entry last week in retaliation for sanctions imposed by Ankara.

Turkey has been eyeing new trade routes to the Middle East ever since relations with Syria broke down following Ankara's increased criticism of President Mr Bashar al Assad over his bloody crackdown on a popular uprising that began in March.

Mr Caglayan said that “To do trade with the Middle East and the Gulf we do not have to go through Syria. Our A, B and C plans are already ready."

Turkey announced a list of economic sanctions on Syria it said would target the government, including freezing state assets and imposing a travel ban on senior officials as well as suspending financial transactions.

Syria responded by suspending a free trade agreement between the two countries and by imposing 30% tariff on all Turkish imports and prohibitive duties on fuel and freight. Turkey shrugged off the decision saying the Syrian people would be the ones that suffered most.

(Sourced from Reuters)