Syria has suspended its free trade agreement with Turkey, the official news agency SANA said on Thursday, Dec 1, in retaliation for Ankara slapping sanctions on the Damascus regime, AFP reported.

Turkey, one of Syria's closest economic partners, followed in the footsteps of the Arab League on Wednesday in announcing a series of sanctions on the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad, including a freeze on commercial transactions and a break in links between the Turkish and Syrian central banks.

"The Syrian government is exploring taking other measures" against Turkey following the sanctions, SANA said.

After long negotiations, Syria and Turkey in December 2004 signed a free trade agreement which also marked a thaw in relations between the neighbours after a long period of friction. The deal was followed in September 2009 by the creation of a special council of senior officials tasked with preparing the ground for deeper economic integration between the two countries and the removal of visa requirements between Syria and Turkey.