Genome-based identification of beet curly top Iran virus infecting sugar beet in Turkey and investigation of its pathogenicity by agroinfection

•Variants of the Beet curly top Iran virus species (BCTIV) were identified in Turkey for the first time.•This is the first report of the virus outside of Iran.•An infectious clone of the Turkish BCTIV (Ankara) was constructed for agroinoculation of sugar beets.•Plants agroinfected with the BCTIV-Ankara infectious clone produced symptoms typical of BCTD.