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by Our Foreign Desk
MOSCOW announced yesterday that imports of Turkish fruit and vegetables will be restricted in response to Ankara’s refusal to apologise for downing a Russian warplane over Syria.
Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said that the ban could be deferred for several weeks to allow Russian firms to find new suppliers and curb price rises.
Russia has previously banned food imports from the European Union and United States over the Ukraine crisis, a step which has been blamed for fuelling food price rises on the Russian market.
The new measures outlined at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev also include a government veto on Turkish construction firms working in Russia and restrictions on road transport.
President Vladimir Putin issued a decree ordering sanctions against Turkey at the weekend and calling for imports to be curbed, although he did not specify which goods were to be banned.
Mr Medvedev called for sanctions to be “most effective for the Turkish side but having a minimal effect on our economic interests.”
President Putin’s decree ended visa-free travel for Turks in Russia and banned extensions of work permits for Turks employed in the country as of January 1.
It also called for a halt to chartered flights from Russia to Turkey and for Russian tourism companies to stop selling holiday packages that include a stay in Turkey.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said yesterday that Ankara would not apologise to Russia for shooting down the Su24 tactical bomber.
“No Turkish prime minister or president will apologise … because of doing our duty. Protection of Turkish airspace, Turkish borders, is a national duty and our army did their job to protect this airspace,” he said after meeting Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels.
Germany is planning to send up to 1,200 troops to support the coalition fighting Isis in Syria — without permission from Damascus, Defence Ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff revealed yesterday.
Berlin plans to send reconnaissance aircraft, tanker planes and a warship.
