Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued decrees banning the import of some goods from Turkey
and suspending employment of Turkish nationals from January 1.

The Kremlin said that, in response to Tuesday’s downing of a Russian warplane by Turkish jets on the Turkish-Syrian border, the order “restricts foreign economic operations envisaging imports to the Russian Federation of certain goods originating in the Turkish Republic…for purposes of protecting national security and national interests of the Russian Federation and protection of the citizens of the Russian Federation from criminal or any other illegal activities”.

Putin also commanded that Russian travel agencies and tour operators halt the sale of trips by Russian citizens to Turkey.

Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev told the Cabinet on Thursday that Russia would impose the restrictions to put economic pressure on Turkey. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had already advised Russian citizens to suspend any travel to the country.