Relations between Russia and Turkey deteriorated after the November 24 downing of a Russian Su-24 bomber in Syria by a Turkish fighter jet. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the incident "a stab in the back."
"Trade and politics should be independent. Politics can recover quickly, as early as tomorrow, but trade ties cannot recover in one day," Buyukeksi was quoted as saying by the Turkish Hurriyet newspaper.
Buyukeksi also stressed that there had been an overall decrease in trade between the two countries even before the current political crisis. According to the official, Turkey’s exports fell by 10.5 percent in November to $11.4 billion year-on-year due to dramatic fluctuations in the euro and dollar exchange rates, as well as geopolitical risks.
On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to increase national security and introduce economic measures against Ankara. The measures ban or restrict the activities of Turkish organizations in Russia, as well as providing for import restrictions on certain Turkish goods.
Earlier in the day, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev ratified the measures.
