Katerina Chernovol23:32, 03.02.23

At least 13 Turkish firms were engaged in the supply of goods to the Russian Federation.

Despite US sanctions and in violation of US export controls, Turkish companies exported American-made electronics, spare parts, and other goods to Russia . Some of them are needed to support the armed forces of the Russian Federation. 

Turkish companies last year exported tens of millions of dollars worth of machinery, electronics, parts and other goods Russia needs for its military, according to a trade data study, showing how Moscow can maintain its war effort despite international sanctions. writes  The Wall Street Journal .

It is noted that at least 13 Turkish firms were engaged in the supply of goods to the Russian Federation. They exported goods totaling $18.5 million. This applies in particular to plastics, rubber products and vehicles. They were supplied to 10 Russian companies previously sanctioned by the US for their role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Journalists analyzed the data and came to the conclusion that Turkish companies sent at least 3 batches of American-made goods to Russia. In addition, from March to October 2022, Turkish firms exported US$15 million worth of elevators, power generators, printed circuit boards and other US-made goods to Russia in violation of US export controls.

It is known that goods from Turkey from sub-sanctioned companies were also received by a subsidiary of the Russian corporation Tactical Missiles, which produces weapons systems for the Russian fleet. In addition, the goods were supplied to the Promtekhnologiya company, which was sanctioned for the production of rifles for the armed forces of the aggressor country.

According to the publication, among the goods purchased in Turkey were also steering wheels for trucks and filters for American-made engines. It is noted that the Russian Federation purchased American-made conveyors and elevators in the amount of almost $8 million.

The WSJ reports that US Treasury officials have traveled to Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Oman to shut down Russian defense procurement networks in those countries. In particular, late last year, high-ranking US officials warned Turkey that its citizens could be fined or jailed for servicing American-made aircraft flying to and from Russia.

It is noted that these warnings served as a test of whether the US and its allies can achieve success in isolating Russia in the long term, or whether the Kremlin can weaken the impact of sanctions by trading with economies such as Turkey, China, India and the Arab countries.

At the same time, the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Federal Customs Service did not respond to journalists’ inquiries regarding the export of American goods to Russia.

(C)UNIAN 2023