TEMPO.CO, Mocow - Russia has increased checks on food and agriculture imports from Turkey, the agriculture ministry said on Thursday, November 26, 2015, in the first public move to curb trade in a dispute with Ankara for downing a Russian fighter jet.
The Russian government instructed food safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor to increase controls after agriculture ministry research showed about 15 percent of agriculture imports from Turkey did not meet regulations, the ministry said.
Rosselkhoznadzor normally checks some food deliveries. The decision to start checking all supplies from Turkey means while imports will continue, they could be significantly delayed.
Moscow often uses Rosselkhoznadzor regulations in diplomatic spats, imposing bans on imports of certain products, citing health reasons. Officials deny the agency's actions are politically driven.
Moscow banned most Western food imports in 2014 when Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis.
President Tayyip Erdogan has made no apology for the downing of the jet, stating that his nation had been defending its security and the "rights of our brothers in Syria". Erdogan made clear that Turkish policy would not change. Russian officials have expressed fury over Turkey's action.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the government was not planning to impose any embargo on Turkish imports.
REUTERS
