On Friday 17 March we in the newspaper Dünya reported the same news. After the message is under the heading, “Came the ban on imports of the six products of Russia” appeared in the international press in Moscow was one thing after another made a few statements. In our article we reported on the introduction of a “ban on purchase of corn, wheat, crude sunflower oil, sunflower meal, peas and rice.”
While after our news the Moscow leadership immediately made a statement that Ankara was waiting for the evening hours. The statement of our Ministry of economy said the following: “on March 17 and in the Turkish and Russian press published unsubstantiated news about that our country have bans on the import of certain products from Russia. We would like to reiterate that these messages do not reflect reality, the foreign trade policy of Turkey is formed in full accordance with WTO rules”.
Zeybekci: Russia still maintains the ban
But on March 19 the Minister of economy Nihat Zeybekci (Nihat Zeybekçi) confirmed that the prohibition to eat, and made it clear that exporters were its initiators.
Zeybekci addressed the question of the export of fresh vegetables and fruits to Russia. He said that the export of these products, the Turkish agricultural sector in Russia was around $ 700 million, but products, which of them accounts for $ 450 million, is still banned.
Zeybekci noted that the agricultural sector and the unions of exporters experiencing strong pressure, and the reason is because the import of agricultural products worth 1 billion $ 830 million, which is carried out from Russia under license, for internal processing regime (DIR). He added: “ultimately, our exporters said: “We do not want the goods from Russia were delivered in the framework DIR”. This was the…”
Zeybekci said that the exporters and the agricultural sector want a quick understanding of the Russian side of their determination and signals in this direction and thus solve the problem.
The first reaction came from the Kremlin
It is clear that it was a move in response to the fact that Russia does not negate the restrictions imposed on Turkey for products such as tomatoes and cucumbers. Because Turkey’s decision to ban was taken suddenly on the evening of March 15.
Our message is not received open confirmation the first day, and statements of Nihat Zeybekci came in two days. This indicates that the progress of Turkey with the “ban” had continued.
Perhaps the publication of the same news one day with the newspaper “Kommersant”, one of the leading Russian media, can not be a coincidence.
A few “strange” that Turkey is waiting for the evening while even the Kremlin’s spokesman made a statement in the morning…
As you remember, immediately after the publication of Dünya this news, the General Director of the Russian Institute for agricultural market Dmitry Rylko, in an interview with Russian news Agency “Interfax”, said: “Turkey March 15 suspended the issuance of licenses for duty-free supplies of wheat, corn and sunflower meal. In the first place as a key supplier — Russia.” And Director of the centre “Sovekon” Andrey Sizov said that almost stopped purchasing.
On the website of the Ministry of Russia is not mentioned
It is also useful to recall the following. In the 134th paragraph announcing the receipt of the license published on the official Internet website of the Ministry of agriculture, still does not mention Russia, where we carry the largest import of wheat. Our total imports amounted to 892 million dollars. Of these, 490 million dollars in Russia. But on the Ministry’s website still contains the statement: “within this item, imports of wheat can be made only from such countries as Lithuania, Germany, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Hungary, Canada”…
