Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said during a telephone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that he wants to expand trade between Ankara and Moscow.
“President Erdogan declared that he aimed to increase the cooperation between Turkey and Russia in a number of areas, notably expanding the volume of trade,” the Turkish presidency said in a statement.
While swiftly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Turkey declared a neutral stance in the war and did not match Western sanctions imposed on Moscow.
Erdogan has justified the policy due to Turkey’s reliance on Russian oil and gas.
Five Turkish companies were targeted by American sanctions in September 2023 for supplying products and services to Russian defense firms.
In a letter sent in August 2022, the U.S. deputy treasury secretary warned Turkish companies of an “increased risk” to them in the face of “Russia’s attempts to use” Turkey “to evade sanctions.”
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