Ships loaded with sunflower oil on way from Russia to Turkey
Turkish authorities have announced that four ships loaded with sunflower oil are on their way from Russia to Turkey. Meanwhile, the Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Ministry has banned the export of cooking oils such as sunflower and corn oil, according to reporting by daily Dünya.
Duvar English
Turkey’s General Directorate of Maritime Affairs on March 9 announced that four ships loaded with sunflower oil are on their way from Russia to Turkey. One of the ships will arrive in Turkey on March 15, while the other three will arrive on March 17.
“The ship loaded with sunflower oil of 6,099 tons, waiting at Yeisk Port in Russia, started to sail through the Kerch canal. It is expected to arrive in Mersin province on March 15. The other three ships loaded with sunflower oil have departed from the Port of Rostov and are scheduled to arrive in our country on March 17,” General Directorate of Maritime Affairs tweeted.
In a second social media post, the Directorate tweeted that an additional six Turkish-owned/operated ships loaded with coal, wheat, bran, and iron ore departed from the Russian ports. While five of the ships will come to Turkey, one of them headed to Romania.
Turkish Agriculture Ministry bans exports of cooking oil amid reports of shortages
Meanwhile, the Turkish Agriculture and Forestry Ministry on March 9 banned the export of sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, safflower oil, soy oil, corn oil, margarine, mustard oil, and all of their fractions, daily Dünya reported.
In January, the ministry had also banned the export of olive oil, red lentils and beans.
Due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, a ton of crude sunflower oil rose from $1,400 to over $2,000. Upon this increase in sunflower oil prices, Turkish citizens started to stock up and emptied market shelves during the weekend.
Earlier this week, the government denied reports of sunflower oil shortage, and instead accused the opposition of initiating a campaign to cause panic.