Browse Data and Analysis

Turkey published its Biosafety Law and implementing regulations in 2010. This legislation has continued to disrupt trade and Turkey’s domestic agriculture and food sectors. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is the sole authority for biotechnology approvals. The Ministry approved seven genetically engineered soybean and corn events in 2022.

Owing to favorable growing conditions and ongoing investments to improve on-farm yields, Turkey’s production and export of apples, pears, and table grapes is forecast at or near record levels in MY 2022/23. At least 80 percent of the projected production of these deciduous fruits will be consumed in Turkey, mainly as fresh fruit.

On January 27, 2022, the Turkish government published a regulation (2022/1) that granted the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MinAF) the authority to restrict the export of twenty (20) agricultural products in order to decrease domestic food inflation.

On January 7, 2022, the Turkish Government published Biosafety Decisions on the import of genetically engineered (GE) soybean and corn events. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MinAF) approved one new soybean event and one new corn event for feed and cancelled the approvals of two corn events which expired on 12/24/2021.

On January 3, 2022, Turkey announced the domestic producer price index (PPI) inflation in the second half of 2021 was 47.39 percent, therefore triggering an automatic increase in the fixed-amount Special Consumption Tax (SCT) for alcohol beverages, soft drinks, fruit juice, and tobacco products.

On December 31, 2021, Turkey announced a revised tariff list for a number of products. According to a Presidential Decree published in the Official Gazette, the import tariffs on wheat, corn, rye, barley, oats, chickpeas, and lentils, has been eliminated through December 31, 2022.