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Turkey continues to help Russia circumvent Western sanctions. This is made possible by a loophole that allows masses of Russian oil to enter the EU.
Ankara/Moscow – Sanctions prohibit Russian oil from entering the EU to deliver. Nevertheless, Russian oil ends up in the EU. This is the result of a study by the Finnish Center for Research on Energy and Air Pollution Control (CREA) and the Bulgarian think tank Center for the study of Democracy (CSD). This is possible thanks to a loophole.
This is made possible by circumventing the Brussels sanctions, which allows the import of “mixed” fuels into the EU if they are labeled as non-Russian. Studies have shown that Russia earned three billion euros from three Turkish ports alone.
Deal with Turkey: money for Russia’s war chest
“The Türkiye has become a strategic stopover for Russian fuel products diverted to the EU and generates hundreds of millions in tax revenue for the Kremlin’s war chest,” Martin Vladimirov, a senior energy analyst at CSD, told the US newspaper Politico opposite. That’s it Türkiye is an important trading partner for the Kremlinwhich brings in urgently needed foreign currency.
Voices are therefore being raised in the West calling for an end to these loopholes, including for Turkey. “We have to take tougher action and find ways to prevent the evasion of sanctions,” said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna Politico. “Third countries, especially our NATO allies, should join our sanctions as much as possible.”
Türkiye has been increasing Russian oil imports since the start of the Ukraine war
Until the invasion of Ukraine, around 40 percent of crude oil and diesel imports into the EU came from Russia. That changed with the start of the war of aggression in February 2022, when the EU decided on a general ban on both products in 2022. Turkey, on the other hand, increased its fuel exports to the EU at the same time. Between February 2023 and February 2024, Turkey increased loudly Politico their purchases from Russia increased by 105 percent compared to the previous 12 months.
During the same period, Turkey’s fuel exports to the EU increased by 107 percent. Not all fuel deliveries from Turkey to the EU have to be made Russia but the figures show that at least a significant proportion could be of Russian origin.
The US newspaper cites the port of Ceyhan in the southeast of the country as an example. “Between February 2023 and 2024, the port received approximately 22 million barrels of fuel, 92 percent of which came from Russia – three times the amount imported from Moscow the year before. During the same period, 85 percent of the port’s fuel exports went to the EU.” Something similar can also be observed in the ports of Marmara Ereglisi and Mersin.
Trade between Russia and Türkiye also in other areas
But Turkey doesn’t just serve as an interim storage facility for Russian oil. Since the beginning of the Ukraine war Trade with Russia has also increased. Many Russian entrepreneurs have founded companies in Türkiye or invested in Turkish companies. This allows the country, which is isolated from the West, to import important technologies that it can also use for its war industry.
The oil deals with Russia are also important for Turkey. The country is in an economic crisis and urgently needs capital. While Western investors are staying away, Russia is a welcome business partner. There were therefore repeated meetings between the presidents of both countries, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Wladimir Putinas well as meetings at ministerial level. (erpe)
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