Russia has hit Turkey with economic retaliation following the fatal downings of two Russian aircraft on Tuesday. Some 15% of all food imports to
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Russia has hit Turkey with economic retaliation following the fatal downings of two Russian aircraft on Tuesday.
Some 15% of all food imports to Russia will be subjected to stricter tests, direct flights could be scaled back and Russians have been told to leave Turkey. Outright restrictions
on food imports could follow.
A battery of economic measures are being talked about including high-profile big-money developments. The Russian tourist federation says it has ceased co-operation.
“The government’s been instructed to work out a set of economic and humanitarian measures to react to this act of aggression,” said Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
Turkey’s main land border route for Russian trade is through Georgia, but Turkish goods are backing up there as the Russians refuse to let them in.
Caught in the middle are the Georgian authorities and the drivers.
“It is because of the plane which was shot down, you can see here there are trucks from Kazakhstan, Georgia, Turkey and Kyrgyzstan but all of them have Turkish cargo and all have been stopped,” said one local driver.
Meanwhile in Moscow a shrine has spontaneously appeared in the centre of the capital to honour the two fallen airmen.
Both men have been posthumously decorated, the jet pilot with the country’s highest honour, the title Hero Of Russia.