BERLIN/Germany: Engineering company Siemens has denied a report by a German broadcaster that there was an Israel boycott clause in a contract with the Turkish state railroad company on Friday.
Broadcaster Südwestrundfunk (SWR) reported earlier that Siemens sold high-speed trains to Turkey despite an associated commitment to boycott Israel.
It said the Islamic Development Bank in Saudi Arabia financed the state-owned railway company’s purchase of the trains and had demanded strict compliance with the Arab League and African Union boycott requirements.
A Siemens spokesman said, “Neither Siemens nor Siemens Turkey signed a boycott statement in 2018 in connection with the award of high-speed trains.”
He said the company had only signed a customary declaration on the origin of the parts installed.
Siemens has been active in Israel for around 60 years in various business areas and is “deeply rooted there,” he added.
