Turkey Officially Lifts Ban on Biotech Imports PDF Print E-mail
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Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs released a directive Wednesday, Dec. 16, repealing the Oct. 26, 2009, regulation that restricted market access of products with biotechnology derived content. The directive instructs Turkish ports to resume pre-Oct. 26 procedures. “This is great news for U.S. farmers and exporters of U.S. value-added products like DDGS (distiller’s dried grains with solubles) and corn gluten. The lift on the ban brings the assumption that everything will go back to the way it was before. However, the situation is very fluid and we are receiving new information constantly,” said Joe O’Brien, U.S. Grains Council regional director in the Middle East and Subcontinent. “The Council will continue to follow the situation as developments unfold.” In addition, Turkey’s Prime Minister has referred a draft biosafety law to Parliament for discussion. USGC Director of Biotechnology Programs Rebecca Fecitt said, “Although we don’t know the exact terms and details of the new, latest version of the biosafety law, it is possible that if this law passed, it may provide the legal basis for the Oct. 26 regulation to resume. Some reports show it is unlikely the draft law will be discussed in Parliament until early next year. The Council will continue to working with local industry on this important issue.” 
 
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