Report: Russia may ban Turkish plant products imports in 2 weeks

MOSCOW, Mar 31 (PRIME) – Russia may ban imports of all plant products from Turkey in two or three weeks due to the latter’s “unconstructive business operation,” Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight Director Sergei Dankvert said in an interview to Rossiya 24 television channel broadcast Thursday.

“We cannot track everything because of the controller system, as it is impossible to check every batch. I think that we may approach a decision to shut down everything from Turkey, taking into account their unconstructive business operation. This may be done in two to three weeks, because we are now studying every direction,” he said.

Russia banned imports of some fruit and vegetables from Turkey from January 1, which was widely viewed as part of retaliatory measures after Ankara downed a Su-24 jet in November 2015.

But in February, the service said it may ban imports of all plant products from Turkey as they are often infected with undesired quarantine organisms and the Turkish authorities took no steps to improve the situation. Earlier in March, the service temporarily banned imports of pepper and pomegranate from Turkey due to the same reason.

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