Saudi authorities have been holding 85 Turkish trucks at the customs border for 10 days now without any justification.

Escalating tension between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, more visible since the killing of dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul last October, has recently led to anti-Turkey sentiment in the kingdom.

Earlier reports also said that the Saudi administration has called upon its citizens to not visit Turkey for tourism or invest in the country.

Arif Vural, one of the Turkish truck drivers, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they set out from İskenderun Port and reached Duba Port, opening up to the Red Sea in northwestern Saudi Arabia, on July 21.

Vural said that they had been through official checks at the port, then were transferred to the waiting area and have not been allowed to enter the country for 10 days.

Indicating that Saudi customs officers or other employees at the port provided no information, Vural added that they did not know how long they would be held at customs.

Turkey closely following matter

The Turkish truck driver also said the cargo they have been carrying consists of textile and food products, noting that they were staying away from their homes, and their families are concerned about the situation.

Vural added that some of his friends have fallen sick due to the extremely hot weather, calling on Turkish authorities to take care of them.

Meanwhile, Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan held a phone call with her Saudi counterpart to get the waiting Turkish trucks at Duba Port out of customs without any problems.

According to diplomatic sources, Turkey's Embassy in Riyadh and the consulate general in Jeddah are also closely following the matter and are making intensive attempts so that Saudi authorities get Turkish drivers through customs as soon as possible.

Earlier, businesspeople argued that Saudi customs were deliberately holding Turkish products, highlighting that the reasons presented by the kingdom's officials have no basis in fact.

Recent reports also cited the International Freight Transporters Association (UND) as saying negotiations to resolve the issue continue and the association was cooperating with the Foreign Ministry and Trade Ministry to settle the problem.