Siemens denies report about Israel boycott clause

MUNICH (dpa-AFX) – Siemens has denied a report by radio station Südwestrundfunk (SWR) about an Israel boycott clause in a contract with Turkish state railways. The broadcaster reported on Friday that Siemens had sold high-speed trains to Turkey despite an associated commitment to boycott Israel. He said the Islamic Development Bank in Saudi Arabia financed the purchase of state-owned railways and demanded strict compliance with the boycott requirements of the Arab League and the African Union.

A Siemens spokesman said, “Neither Siemens AG nor Siemens Turkey signed a boycott statement in 2018 in connection with the award of high-speed trains.” Only the usual statement about the origin of the installed parts had been made, he said. The group has been active in Israel for about 60 years in various business areas and “has deep roots there.”/rol/DP/zb