Saudi Arabia allows Turkish trucks to pass in 2 weeks

By Mahmut Geldi

ISTANBUL (AA) - Saudi Arabia on Monday allowed 73 Turkish trucks to pass to the Duba port after holding them at the customs for two weeks without any justification, the truck drivers told Anadolu Agency.

They had started to exit the Duba port located on the Red Sea coast not at once but at certain time intervals, added the truck drivers.

On Aug. 17, the trucks reached the Port of Duba in northwestern Saudi Arabia, which opens up to the Red Sea, after leaving Iskenderun on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, said the drivers, who asked not to be named due to security concerns.

After routine checks at the port, the trucks were transferred to an empty area next to the harbor surrounded by wire mesh, said the drivers, where they have been waiting for 12 days without any justification.

Some drivers have fallen sick due to the extremely hot air with high humidity, they said, adding that Turkey's Embassy in the capital Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah have both been closely following the issue.

They said they feel grateful to the Turkish embassy in Riyadh and the consulate general authorities in Jeddah for following the situation closely.

In a similar incident, 85 Turkish trucks that had reached the same port on 21 July were held in the customs for 12 days without any justification.

The Turkish embassy and the consulate general authorities made intensive attempts with the Saudi authorities to ensure the Turkish drivers passed through customs as soon as possible.

*Writing by Dilara Hamit