Turkey restores GM ban

Turkey's ban on GM products has been reinstated after the Ministry of Agriculture appealed a court decision that struck down a law restricting market access to products containing GM content.

According to Joe O'Brien, US Grains Council (USGC) regional director in the Middle East and Subcontinent, re-implementation has been delayed thus far as products containing GM ingredients are reportedly still entering the country.

The delay is due to industry pressure to allow commodities entering the country, and it is believed that implementation of the ban will begin shortly after most pending shipments are cleared, he said.

Developments of the new Biosafety Law will likely be discussed in Parliament in March or April of this year, according to Rebecca Fecitt, USGC director of Biotechnology Programmes.

If this law is passed, it may provide a legal basis for the ban to exist, she said.

The council is currently working with the local industry on this important issue, Fecitt added.