MOSCOW President Vladimir Putin signed a decree imposing a raft of punitive economic sanctions against Turkey on Saturday, underlining the depth of the Kremlin’s anger toward Ankara 4 days right after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane.
The decree, which entered into force right away, said charter flights from Russia to Turkey would be banned, that tour firms would be told not to sell any holidays there, and that unspecified Turkish imports would be outlawed, and Turkish firms and nationals have their economic activities halted or curbed.
“The situations are unprecedented. The gauntlet thrown down to Russia is unprecedented. So naturally the reaction is in line with this threat,” Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, mentioned hours prior to the decree was published.
A senior Turkish official told Reuters the sanctions would only worsen the standoff in between Moscow and Ankara.
But aides to Putin say he is incandescent that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has however to apologize for the Nov. 24 incident close to the Syrian-Turkish border in which 1 Russian pilot was killed along with a Russian marine who attempted to rescue the crew of the downed SU-24 jet.
Senior Russian officials have named the episode, 1 of the most significant publicly acknowledged clashes in between a NATO member nation and Russia for half a century, a pre-planned provocation.
Erdogan has been equally robust. He has mentioned Turkey will not apologize for downing the jet, saying Ankara was completely inside its rights to defend its air space. On Saturday, he appeared to soften his rhetoric a little, saying the episode had saddened him.
Putin’s spokesman suggested the Russian leader was ready for a long standoff even so, saying he was “totally mobilized” to tackle what he regarded as an unprecedented threat from Turkey.
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The decree, posted on the Kremlin’s website, spoke of the need to have to defend Russia’s national safety and Russian citizens “from criminal and other illegal activities”.
In it, Putin ordered the government to prepare a list of goods, firms and jobs that would be affected. Some of the measures announced have currently been informally introduced.
The government is anticipated to publish the list of banned imports on Monday, Interfax news agency reported, citing a government source. The list is most likely to consist of meals and some other products, a second government supply stated.
Turkey mainly sells meals, agricultural merchandise and textiles to Moscow and is also one of the most well-known vacation destinations for Russians. Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, mentioned he believed up to 200,000 Turkish citizens could be on Russian soil.
Putin signed the decree days prior to a climate adjust summit in Paris. Erdogan mentioned earlier on Saturday it could be a opportunity to repair relations with Moscow.
“Confrontation will not bring anyone happiness. As significantly as Russia is crucial for Turkey, Turkey is crucial for Russia,” Erdogan mentioned in a televised speech in the western city of Baliksehir.
Peskov said Putin was aware of a Turkish request for him to meet Erdogan on the sidelines of the Paris conference but gave no indication of whether or not such a meeting would take place.
He referred to as the behavior of the Turkish air force “absolute madness” and mentioned Ankara’s subsequent handling of the crisis had reminded him of the “theater of the absurd.”
“Nobody has the right to traitorously shoot down a Russian plane from behind,” Peskov told Russia’s “News on Saturday” Tv system, calling Turkish evidence purporting to show the Russian jet had violated Turkish air space “cartoons”.
Turkey’s foreign ministry advised people on Saturday to postpone all non-urgent travel to Russia.
Peskov, according to the TASS news agency, also spoke on Saturday of how Erdogan’s son had a “certain interest” in the oil market. Putin has stated oil from Syrian territory controlled by Islamic State militants is finding its way to Turkey.
Erdogan has spoken of slander and asked anyone making such accusations to back up their words with proof.
(Additional reporting by Yesim Dikmen in Istanbul, Tulay Karadeniz and Dasha Afanasieva in Ankara, Orhan Coskun and Humeyra Pamuk Editing by Dominic Evans and Susan Thomas)
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