Öykü Altuntaş / Moscow, Nov 26 () - Moscow disclaimed statements that Russia could put an embargo against food supplies from Turkey, specifying the measures to be taken would include strengthening control over food supplies from Turkey and boost border and production checks, Ministry of Agriculture announced on Nov. 26.
Measures are presented with regard to “repeated violations of Russian standards by Turkish producers” the statement of the Ministry added.
"About 15% of Turkish agricultural products on average do not meet Russian standards," Minister of Agriculture Alexander Tkachev stressed.
Russian Ministry of Agriculture announced Russia has imported foods and agricultural supplies from Turkey with 1.7 billion dollars in 2014. Meanwhile, Russian exports of foods and agricultural products to Turkey rose by a third in 2014, totaling 2.4 billion dollars.
"Turkish vegetables account for 20 percent of the total Russian imports of vegetables. Import of vegetables, tomatoes in the first place, will be substituted with those from Iran, Morocco, Israel, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan," the Minister has said early on Nov. 25.
Russia’s decision to ban food imports from the U.S., European Union, Canada and Norway has caused an increase in good imports from Turkey.
