On November 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin enforced economic sanctions on Turkey for shooting down one of its Su-24 bomber jets last week. The plane had flown into Turkish airspace along the Syrian border in the fight against the highly aggressive terrorist organisation, Islamic State (IS). Disputes over whether Turkey had sent warnings have ensued – with the one surviving pilot denying that they had been received.
The incident was the first time that a member of NATO has shot down a Russian jet in over six decades. “The circumstances are unprecedented. The gauntlet thrown down to Russia is unprecedented. So naturally the reaction is in line with this threat,” said Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, according to Al Jazeera.
[C]hartered flights to Turkey have been terminated, together with the sale of tourist packages to Turkey
The series of sanctions includes a ban of trade for various goods, which have not yet been specified. Additionally, “certain types of work” carried out by Turkish companies in Russia have been prohibited, while the work permits for Turkish nationals in Russia will be barred from extension as of January 1. It is likely that these two caveats of the sanctions will impact Turkey’s construction industry considerably as the two countries have been working together increasingly on various projects. Increased scrutiny of Turkish shipping companies has also been suggested, with greater security at Russian ports.
Furthermore, chartered flights to Turkey have been terminated, together with the sale of tourist packages to Turkey. As around 4.5 million Russians visit Turkey each year, which accounts for 12 percent of all tourists to the country, the decision indicates a large blow to Turkey’s growing tourism sector.
Although not included in the Kremlin’s announcement on Saturday, other sanctions may soon be ordered, including the end to the construction of a gas pipeline between the two states and a nuclear plant in Turkey.
On the same weekend, EU officials announced that they have reached a deal with Turkey to stem the flow of refugees fleeing from IS. For increasing security along its borders, the Turkish state will receive around €3bn in government concessions from the EU. The deal also includes a pledge to revive negotiations for Turkey’s EU membership and allows Turkish nationals to travel within the Schengen zone without a visa.
With Russia now turning its back on Turkey, and colder relations from Russia’s regional allies also expected, it would seem that Turkey is once again moving closer to the West as it re-launches its campaign for a long-desired seat at the EU table. This is an issue that many have criticised in the past due to Turkey’s failures in terms of human rights, the persistent attack on the freedom of speech for Turkish citizens and the fact that its military still illegally occupies an expansive territory of EU Member State Cyprus.
