Russia May Allow Import of Turkish Plant Products Given Quality Guarantees

Russia may allow the importation of plant products from Turkey in case Ankara provides credible guarantees of their quality, Alexey Alexeyenko, assistant to the head of the agriculture watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor, said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Alexeyenko told the Rossiya 24 television channel that the import from Turkey may resume "should we receive absolutely proven guarantees, because we are not satisfied with idle words."

He added that Turkey had promised to ensure safety of food for export during a meeting between Rosselkhoznadzor and its Turkish counterparts in late April.

"Yet we continue receiving infested products. So we have to make a radical decision," Alexeyenko said.

Russia restricted food import from Turkey and curbed economic cooperation after a Turkish F-16 fighter shot down a Russian Su-24 attack aircraft over Syria on November 24, 2015.

The list of banned food products includes fruits, vegetables, and most poultry products.