ISTANBUL: Turkey’s flour mills are seeking a relaxation of the country’s ban on wheat imports, the mills’ association said on Friday.

Turkey, the world’s largest flour exporter, banned wheat imports in June until Oct. 15, 2024, to protect farmers from low prices, promote domestic procurement of grains by the Turkish state grain board TMO and create a favourable market for farmers.

“We’ve petitioned the grain board to not extend this temporary ban, either by allowing us to import the wheat through the board or allowing private imports,” said Haluk Tezcan, the head of the federation of private Turkish flour mills.