UPDATE2: Russia slaps economic restrictions on Turkey

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MOSCOW/KRASNOGORSK/GORKI, Moscow Region, Nov 30 (PRIME) -- Moscow is working on the list of Turkish food that it would ban in the wake of Ankara’s downing of a Russian fighter jet, but it will include fruit and vegetables, Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said on Monday.

He also proposed delaying the introduction of the food ban for several weeks so that Russian retail chains could find new suppliers.

First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said the Industry and Trade Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry are already working to avoid a deficit of food.

He also said that the measures against Turkey will not concern construction contracts concluded before December 31, Shuvalov also said.

President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to ensure national security and introduce special economic measures against Turkey in response to a recent jet downing.

Putin has ordered to suspend a visa-free regime between Russia and Turkey starting from January 1, 2016. The ban will not concern Turkish nationals that have a temporary or permanent resident permit in Russia, as well as Turkish diplomats and consular missions in Russia and their families. The Foreign Ministry has been ordered to notify Turkey of the ban.

Shuvalov said the suspension of the visa-free regime does not mean restrictions on the entry of Turkish citizens to Russia.

The president also ordered to ban charter flights between Russia and Turkey, as well as to enhance control over Turkish air carriers on the Russian territory. Regular flights will be under special control, Shuvalov said.

Russian tour operators should stop selling tours to Turkey, in accordance with the decree.

According to the Federal Agency for Tourism, 919 Russian tourists are currently in Turkey and they will return to Russia soon.

Russia is also introducing additional control at its ports, including in Crimea and in the basin of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, Shuvalov said.

Russian employers will not be allowed to hire Turkish citizens starting from January 1, 2016. The activities of Turkish organizations in Russia will also be restricted, the order said.

Putin has also ordered to either ban or limit imports of certain Turkish goods to Russia.

The Federal Antimonopoly Service does not expect food prices to jump due to the ban, but will still monitor the situation, Director Igor Artemyev said.

“I can’t say what growth there will be. I think there won’t be a strong growth anyway, because we are talking about relatively small volumes, which should be easily substituted by neighboring countries like Azerbaijan, Armenia and other countries of the Eurasian Economic Union,” Artemyev said.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that the measures against Turkey are forced and are not aimed against Turkish citizens. The measures will be heavy for Turkey, but will not almost concern Russia’s economic interests, he also said.

The restrictions could be expanded in the future if necessary, Medvedev said. “Those measures, which will be now included into a draft ruling, are only the first step. We will look at how events will develop. We can expand the list of goods, whose supplies will be prohibited to Russia, expand the list of people that are banned to come to Russia, and take other measures aimed at restriction and closing up of cooperation with Turkey,” Medvedev said. “All this will be done if necessary.”

On November 24, Russia’s Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jet was shot down by an air-to-air Turkish missile and crashed in Syria. Putin said then it was “a stab in the back” from “accomplices of terrorists” and promised serious consequences in relations between Moscow and Ankara.

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