The steps toward the normalization of Turkish-Russian relations, which were strained by the fighter jet crisis in November 2015, continue to positively impact foreign trade data, according to the statistics of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).

Turkey's exports to Russia declined to $1.4 billion in the first three months of 2014 from $1.7 billion in the same period of the previous year. Also, they fell to $912 million in the first quarter of 2015 and to $353 million in the first quarter of 2016. Exports reached $498.1 million in the first quarter of this year, soaring by 40.9 percent compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, imports from Russia to Turkey neared $6.2 billion in the first quarter of 2013 and rose to $6.7 billion in the same period of 2014. They dropped to $3.9 billion in the first quarter last year from nearly $6 billion in the same period of 2015. Imports from Russia neared $4.4 billion in the first quarter of this year with an 11.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

As far as the items of foreign trade between Turkey and Russia go, the highest increase in exports was seen in fruits in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period of the previous year. The amount of fruits and nuts that Turkey sold to Russia amounted to $50 million in the January-March period of last year and to $88 million in the same period of this year. There was also a significant increase in the amount of Turkey's exports to Russia in apparel, boilers and machines, electric machines and motor land vehicles.

The greatest decline in imports was in cereals and animal and vegetable fat and oil. The amount of cereals imported from Russia decreased to $120 million in the first quarter of this year from $180 million in the same period last year, while imports of animal and vegetable fat and oil decreased to $153 million from $228 million in the same period. The imports of mineral fuel from Russia rose to $2.565 billion from $2.207 billion, while imports of iron and steel increased to $733 million from $507 million in the same period.