Turkey says it may need to take action against Russia’s tomato restrictions

ANKARA

Turkey may need to take reciprocal measures against Russia’s restrictions on imports of tomatoes and other produces, Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said on Aug. 9.

Speaking to businessmen in Ankara, Zeybekci said there were still lingering issues on the export of Turkish tomatoes to Russia, and that restrictions were in place for other vegetables as well.

“This may create a need for us to take reciprocal measures,” he said, as quoted by Reuters. 

Russia banned Turkish tomato imports after Turkey shot down a Russian jet near the Syrian border in 2015. 

Ties between Ankara and Moscow have largely normalized since although the ban remains in place. 

On June 2, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree lifting the ban on some agricultural produce and Turkish companies involved in construction, engineering and tourism in the aftermath of the downing of a Russian fighter jet in 2015. 

Following the lifting of the sanctions, only two restrictions are left for Ankara, the issue of visa-free travel for Turkish citizens and tomatoes. Consultations on the seasonal admission of Turkish tomatoes to the Russian market will continue during the summer, said Dvorkovich.