Russia intensifies control of Turkish goods exported through Europe

Tuzmen said that Russia was restricting Turkish goods sent to Russia from some logistic centers in Europe.

"This is a non-tariff obstruction," Tuzmen was quoted by Anatolian Agency as saying after meeting Chen Deming, the Chinese minister of commerce, in Beijing.

Tuzmen said Turkey has launched initiatives to solve the problem, and would take measures, based on the law of reciprocity.

He added Russia was at the top of countries Turkey was having foreign trade with and therefore Turkey wanted to solve the problems as soon as possible.

Some Turkish brands are producing their goods in various places around the world, collect them together in logistic centers in Europe and export them to various countries.
 
Goods produced in China, India or Turkey are packed in various places in Europe and sent to Russia.

If Russian customs authorities find goods produced in Turkey among the consignments, they cause difficulties and the customs transactions last longer than usual. Therefore, giant world brands decided not to send the goods they produced in Turkey. This also brings up several problems in export of famous brands manufactured in Turkey.

U.S. WARSHIPS
The trade row has raised questions about whether Russia is trying to punish Turkey for allowing U.S. warships carrying aid to Georgia to recently pass through the Bosporus to the Black Sea. Turkey, a NATO member, also has helped train and equip Georgia’s military, which recently lost a brief war with Russia over the separatist region of South Ossetia.

Russia is Turkey's top trading partner and supplier of two-thirds of its natural gas.

Turkish Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin complained on Saturday about the restrictions on Turkish exports to Russia and suggested his country could do the same to Russian exporters. Hundreds of trucks trying to carry Turkish exports to Russia have been held up at the country's checkpoints for up to four weeks.

"Reciprocity is essential in foreign affairs," Sahin was quoted as saying by state-run media. "If another country is engaged in unfair conduct against us, that gives us the right to do the same thing."

But he also said, "I believe reason will prevail, and I hope these disruptions without any valid reason will end."

Sahin’s remarks came a day after Tuzmen said his country was set to delay Russian goods at Turkish borders.

ERDOGAN TO DISCUSS PROBLEMS WITH LAVROV
Turkey's Premier Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday he would discuss problems with Russia during Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's upcoming visit to Turkey.

"Let's wait until Mr.Lavrov gets here. We will discuss these issue with them. They have some points, we have our own points," Erdogan said when asked about Turkey's stance against Russia's commercial sanctions on his country.

Lavrov is expected to arrive early next week in Turkey.

Erdogan also said there were no problems regarding the foreign warships that passed through the straits into the Black Sea under the Montreux Convention.
 
He said they were in constant contact with the United States, Spain and other countries who sent their ships to the Black Sea for humanitarian purposes, adding none of the said countries showed any sign of intention to extend the stay of their ships.

Erdogan said he did not believe a new cold war was approaching and added Turkey was exerting efforts to prevent it.
 
"We would never want such a thing to happen (cold war). America is our ally and Russian Federation is an important neighbor. Russia is our number one trade partner. We are supplying two-thirds of our energy from Russia. Two-thirds of the natural gas come from there. 52 percent of our electricity comes from natural gas power plants. We will be left in dark," he also said.