Since the beginning of the new war in the Middle East, Turkey has positioned itself as an ally of Hamas in the conflict, anchored in its history of sheltering leaders of the terrorist group and facilitating the raising of funds for Palestinian militia actions, at the same time as which accuses Israel of committing crimes in Gaza and threatens the Jewish State if it decides to “destroy” members of the group.
Furthermore, the Islamic country also contributes to the continuation of another war: that of Eastern Europe, by serving as an escape route from the sanctions applied by the USA and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies against Russia.
According to the British newspaper The Financial Timesexports of military material to Moscow soared this year, being three times higher than the same period in 2022.
Official data from Turkey indicate that, in the first nine months of 2023, the country’s foreign revenue, only from goods linked to the war in Ukraine, was US$158 million (around R$775 million).
According to the US, 45 items considered “high priority” for Putin’s government, which are produced in G7 countries (Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, USA, France and Italy), were sent from Ankara . Among the goods are microchips, communication equipment and parts such as telescopic sights, which are, in theory, subject to the control of these countries, since sanctions were applied against Russia.
Putin’s army uses this equipment to build cruise missiles, drones and helicopters, according to US and EU intelligence.
The items are able to reach Russia with the help of intermediaries, such as Turkey, which use small companies to “disguise” the final destination of the goods. Other nations that mediate this trade are former members of the Soviet Union: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Turkish government statistics show an increase in declarations of exports of high priority goods to these five countries, however, the data released by these nations does not match.
For example, Kazakhstan registered imports of goods originating from Turkey worth US$6.1 million (around R$30 million) until September, however, official data from the Turkish government shows that exports of the same materials reached US$66 million (R$324 million) in the same period.
Washington and NATO allies have already called on Ankara to take stricter measures to limit trade with sanctioned countries. Last month, the US Treasury Department again emphasized the need to curb exports to Russia.
“The US, the EU, the UK and our G7 partners have made it clear that we do not want any of our key partners to become places where our sanctions are circumvented,” said James O’Brien, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Asian Affairs.
“It is important that we continue to close our doors to Russia, otherwise we will see more and more large attacks against Kiev,” O’Brien added, days after Ukrainian authorities reported the largest Russian drone attack to date since February 2022, when the conflict began.
Turkey maintains strong diplomatic and commercial ties with Russia, while pledging not to assist Moscow in its attempts to circumvent Western sanctions. The US has threatened the Turkish government with the imposition of “coercive measures” if it does not adopt more effective actions to stop the receipt of important goods for Russia to maintain its expansionist plan.
For example, an electronics supplier based in Istanbul was sanctioned by the US government in November on suspicion of sending shipments to Russia containing high-priority goods such as integrated electronic circuits.
Russian customs data, obtained by the newspaper The Financial Timesshowed that the company sold US$ 1.3 million (R$ 6.3 million) in equipment to the country from January to July this year, of which US$ 300 thousand (R$ 1.4 million) were “high-end” items. need”.
Diplomatic tensions between Turkey and the US come at a delicate time, as Ankara is interested in acquiring American F-16 combat aircraft. Furthermore, another imbroglio is occurring within NATO, an organization of which Turkey is a part: Ankara has been an obstacle to Sweden’s entry.
The reason for the refusal is the European Union member country’s supposed weak position on recognizing the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as a terrorist militia. According to Erdogan’s government, Sweden is, on the contrary, a refuge for the Kurds.
The issue took an even bigger hit after the burning of a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm at the beginning of the year. Approval of the Nordic country’s entry into the organization remains stalled in the Turkish Parliament.
Earlier this month, the US further increased sanctions against Turkish companies, in light of recent data released. The new restrictions come during a new important geopolitical event: the war between Israel and Hamas, in which the two countries are heading in opposite directions.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has frequently attacked Israel and its allies in public speeches, condemning the Israeli offensive. The Islamic country also does not recognize Hamas as a terrorist group.
A few weeks ago, US Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson emphasized at a press conference that Washington was “deeply concerned” about Turkey’s role in facilitating Hamas’ access to international financing, highlighting that The conflict in Gaza has complicated relations between NATO allies.
“We are deeply concerned about Hamas’ ability to continue to raise funds or find financial support for its operations in potential future terrorist attacks in Turkey,” the White House official said.
In October, the US imposed sanctions against three individuals who claimed to be members of Hamas and are based in Turkey. According to reports, they “help manage the terrorist group’s investment network” from Ankara.
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