UPDATE: Russia slaps economic restrictions on Turkey

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MOSCOW/KRASNOGORSK, Moscow Region, Nov 30 (PRIME) -- Russian 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, the Kremlin said on November 28.

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.

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.

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

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.

Russia can ban imports of chilled and frozen cattle meat, poultry, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, and seafood from Turkey, Izvestia newspaper reported Monday citing a source close to the Agriculture Ministry.

The Federal Antimonopoly Service does not expect food prices to jump due to the ban, 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.

The antimonopoly service will monitor the situation, he said.

On November 24, Russia’s Sukhoi Su-24 bomber 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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