Official Ankara has started negotiations with Washington, during which it is trying to soften the regime of sanctions against the aggressor country of the Russian Federation.
Points of attention
- Turkey is negotiating with the USA to ease sanctions against Russia, a move crucial for its energy sector heavily reliant on Russian gas imports.
- Ankara seeks to leverage the easing of sanctions to maintain its use of Gazprombank for natural gas imports and secure its energy supply.
- The planned creation of a gas hub in Turkey and the possibility of new gas pipelines reflect the deepening cooperation between Moscow and Ankara in the energy sector.
- The historical context of US sanctions against Russia, including restrictions on Gazprombank, underscores the diplomatic challenges faced by Turkey in balancing its energy needs and international alliances.
- The outcome of the negotiations between Turkey and the USA regarding Russian sanctions could have significant implications not only for the energy landscape but also for diplomatic relations in the region.
What Turkey wants to agree on with the USA
As journalists were able to learn from their insiders, Ankara believes that the easing of sanctions against Moscow will give it the opportunity to continue using Gazprombank to pay for natural gas imports.
Without US permission, we will not be able to pay Russia, — complained recently the head of the Ministry of Energy of Turkey, Alparslan Bayraktar.
According to him, if Washington does not make an exception for Ankara, it could have very serious consequences for the whole country.
Against this background, the minister recalled previous cases when sanctions related to Iran were eased by granting special permits.
What is important to know about relations between Turkey and the Russian Federation
As you know, the aggressor country Russia is the largest supplier of gas to Turkey, providing about 42% of imports last year.
In general, Turkey is largely dependent on Russia in the energy sector, in particular it imports about half of its oil and is building a nuclear power plant with Russia's help.
In addition, it is indicated that Moscow and Ankara intend to create a gas hub in Turkey and are considering the possibility of laying new underwater gas pipelines.
It is important to understand that two years ago the USA announced a new powerful package of sanctions against the aggressor country of the Russian Federation. At that time, there were about 2,600 visa restrictions for Russian and Belarusian officials, as well as the first sanctions against Gazprombank executives.
On November 21, 2024, it was officially announced that the United States had inflicted the first powerful sanctions on Gazprombank. He is one of the few large Russian creditors who has not yet been blacklisted.
In this way, the White House is trying to limit the Kremlin's ability to finance the war against Ukraine.
