Türkiye to tighten phytosanitary controls on Ukrainian wheat

Türkiye will tighten phytosanitary requirements for imports of Ukrainian wheat from Aug. 4, 2026. Shipments found to contain specified quarantine organisms will be denied entry, while exporters will be refused phytosanitary certificates, Ukraine's State Service on Food Safety and Consumer Protection said, citing Türkiye's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

The new requirements follow the entry into force of Türkiye's Plant Quarantine Regulation, published in the country's Official Gazette on May 6, 2026. The regulation replaces the previous rules that had been in force since 2011.

Under the updated requirements, Türkiye will inspect Ukrainian wheat for the following quarantine organisms:

• Tilletia barclayana
• Tilletia indica
• Tilletia caries
• Tilletia controversa
• Tilletia laevis (synonym: Tilletia foetida)

Tilletia barclayana and Tilletia indica are classified as quarantine pests whose import into Türkiye is prohibited and whose presence in the country is not known.

Tilletia caries, Tilletia controversa, and Tilletia laevis are also designated as quarantine pests whose import is prohibited, although they are present in certain regions of Türkiye.

Laboratory testing will be conducted on a presence/absence basis, meaning the listed organisms must be completely absent from Ukrainian wheat consignments.

"If the specified organisms are detected during laboratory testing, the import of the respective shipment will not be permitted," the Turkish ministry said in a letter.

Ukraine's food safety authority added that if any of the listed organisms are detected in wheat intended for export to Türkiye, the applicant will be denied a phytosanitary certificate in accordance with Article 46 of Ukraine's Law "On Plant Quarantine."