Sanctions imposed after downing of military plane are hindering production of patriotic garments, reports The Moscow Times

The production of T-shirts carrying anti-Turkish slogans in Russia has been delayed by restrictions on fabric imports from Turkey, local media reported this week.

Designers offering customers a fashion statement in response to the diplomatic fall out after Ankara shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber near the Turkish-Syrian border say they have been hit by a serious production glitch.

Russia imposes sanctions on Turkey over downed plane Read more

Russian clothing manufacturers heavily rely on the Turkish fabrics, deliveries of which have been delayed due to the political dispute between the two countries.

The Russian government has also banned fruit and vegetable imports from Turkey, and has ordered Russian tour operators to stop selling travel packages to the country.

Alexander Konasov, who offers anti-Turkish shirt designs on his website, told the Russian News Service (RNS) that Turkey was a “monopolist” in Russia’s fabric market. He said he would use fabric made by domestic manufacturers instead.

“We will have several designs – with tomatoes, and with the words ‘I won’t be going [to Turkey]’ and so on,” Konasov said.

The designer’s website also showcases a shirt with a slogan that reads: “We don’t need Turkish shores, we now have Crimea and snowy Sochi” – and another that shows a likeness of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan being chased by a bear accompanied by the slogan “Run, Turk, run”.

“Our clients follow the news and want to express their solidarity,” Konasov said. “Our T-shirts are part of how people can express their views on foreign policy and on patriotism.”

Designer Yekaterina Dobryakova told RNS that she was unable to start making anti-Turkish T-shirts because trucks carrying Turkish fabrics were being detained at the border

“Got a call from RNS asking me whether I planned to make shirts with anti-Turkish themes,” Dobryakova said on her Facebook page. “I said, sarcastically, that as soon as trucks from Turkey are allowed across the border, I will immediately do so.”

Whilst she insists she “had no plans to make T-shirts with the theme of war”, she claimed that “the trucks have indeed been stopped, and very soon we won’t be able to sew, because all Russian fabric suppliers are working with Turkey, and we have no domestic alternative.”

A version of this article first appeared on The Moscow Times