MOSCOW: The Turkish-Russian ties are currently passing through a normalization process with Russia gradually lifting the economic restrictions such as the ban on import of some goods from Turkey. Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree lifting the ban on import of certain types of fruits and vegetables from Turkey, the Russian PM told his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim in a phone conversation. The sides discussed restoration of bilateral relations, according to Turkish media outlets. The sixth meeting of the Russia-Turkey High Level Cooperation Council will take place in Moscow on March 10. The Turkish and Russian presidents will head the countries’ delegations at the Council’s meetings.
Russia imposed a number of sanctions on Turkey in response to the downing of a Russian military aircraft by a Turkish fighter jet in Syria on November 24, 2015. Russian side targeted several sectors of the Turkish economy, banning Russian firms from organizing package tours to Turkey, restricting the operation of Turkish construction companies in Russia, and prohibiting the import of most products including a ban on food and flowers. In June 2016, following Turkey’s apology for the incident, the sides began a reconciliation process. After the talks between the two countries’ presidents in October 2016, the Russian government decided to allow on its market a number of Turkish agricultural products, including citrus.
The embargo was lifted in respect of fresh and dried oranges and tangerines, fresh apricots, peaches and nectarines, plums and thorns, which make up much of Turkey’s fruit exports to Russia. In the first 6 months of 2016 Turkish-Russian bilateral trade volume increased by 2 percent and reached $12.7 billion compared to $12.9 billion in the same period of 2015. Turkish exports to Russia fell to $1.8 billion (by 2 percent) while imports fell to $10.9 billion (by 2 percent).
