Turkey May Be Forced to Swallow New Russian Agricultural Product Sanctions

Russia's federal agricultural watchdog has not ruled out the introduction of a ban on the import of all agricultural products of Turkish origin; the measure could be introduced within a month.

Russia is considering stepping up its export sanctions against Turkey, according to Sergei Dankvert, head of the Russian agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor.

"We may be forced to introduce limits on deliveries of agricultural products [from Turkey]. This may happen within a month," Dankvert said.

Russian-Turkish relations deteriorated following the downing of a Russian Su-24 jet by a Turkish F-16 fighter in Syria on November 24, 2015. In response to this "stab in the back," as it was described by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow imposed a number of restrictive measures on Turkey.

These measures included a restriction of the activities of Turkish organizations in Russia, a prohibition on the hiring of Turkish citizens by Russian employers and a ban on certain food imports.

There have been no high-level contacts between the two countries following the November incident.