Ankara expects Moscow to soon lift the ban on the import of five types of Turkish plant products – pomegranates, aubergines, peppers, courgettes and lettuce, as stated by the Minister of Agriculture on Monday.
Faruk Çelik, the Turkish Minister of Agriculture, said that another 11 kinds of Turkish plant products would remain banned. “With regard to them, the Minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, Alexander Tkachev, said that a decision would be made during the visit of Prime Minister Binali Yildirim to Russia (5-6 December),” stated the Minister.
The improvement in Turkish-Russian relations have already ensured an increase in the export of Turkish fruit and vegetables. Compared to the same period a year previously, the Turkish export of tangerines has increased by 41 per cent. With that, export amounted to 90,211 tonnes. The export of oranges increased by 27 per cent to 26,000 tonnes. Last year, between 19 October and 16 November, Turkey exported 63,794 tonnes of tangerines and 20,713 tonnes of oranges, amounting to a total value of 43 million dollar. During the same period this year, Turkey earned over 44 million dollar through the export of tangerines alone.