Türkiye halts military goods exports to Russia after US warning – FT

Türkiye has secretly blocked the export of US-origin military goods to Russia following a warning from the United States.

Source: European Pravda, referencing the Financial Times

Details: Sources told the Financial Times that in recent weeks, Ankara has made adjustments to its customs systems in order to block exports of more than four dozen categories of US-origin goods seen as vital to Russia’s war in Ukraine by Washington and its western allies.

Türkiye's electronic customs system no longer allows exporters to send shipments of military equipment, although such goods were previously being exported, two of the sources said.

Another source noted that the trade restrictions, which apply to civilian components such as microchips and remote control systems that western allies believe are being used in weaponry, were not publicly announced because of "political sensitivities".

The report also highlighted that Turkish banks have significantly reduced their business dealings with Russian entities this year, following a US order threatening sanctions against financial institutions processing transactions for Russia's war machine.

Washington has long been concerned that Türkiye is being used as a conduit for Russia to access military goods, and this has strained relations between the two countries.

Background: 

• This summer, the US warned Türkiye that there would be consequences if it did not stop exporting American-made equipment which could be repurposed for military use to Russia.
• It is worth noting that at the end of last year, the US introduced a sanctions mechanism against foreign financial institutions found to be involved in supplying sanctioned military goods to Russia. 
• This has significantly affected financial flows between Russia and countries such as Türkiye, the UAE and Kazakhstan.

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