Several business unions in Armenia have called on the government to extend the ban on Turkish imports another five years.

The organizations (Mantashov Businessmen's Union, Association of Restaurants NGOs, and The Union of Advanced Technology Enterprises, claim the ban has allowed local manufacturers to flourish and thus create new employment opportunities.

The Armenian government initiated the ban in January 2021, in the wake of the 2020 war in Artsakh. The ban was extended another six months last June.

The above groups, in a public letter to PM Nikol Pashinyan, claim that the ban has resulted in a 300% decrease in imported Turkish products.

“In fact, the ban on the import of Turkish goods did not cause any shock in the Armenian economy, as Turkish goods were quickly replaced by products of both local and foreign origin, so there is no economic justification for allowing the re-import of Turkish goods,” the statement reads.

They argue that the ban, besides having a positive economic impact, must be extended because Turkey provided moral and material support to the Azerbaijani army in the commission of crimes against the Armenian nation.